Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is still lobbying the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on the hosting of the U-20 World Cup, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has said.
"We are still conducting talks. I think the chair of our Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, will fly to Zurich to conduct further consultations with FIFA. We hope we can find the answer and at least FIFA will understand Indonesia's position in this problem," the minister informed at Jakarta Presidential Palace on Monday.
Earlier, two provinces selected as U-20 World Cup venues, namely Bali and Central Java, had pushed back against hosting the Israeli team. "This is not merely a rejection or protest. But this is related to our country's Constitution," Effendy, who is also serving as the acting minister of youth and sports, said.
This refusal resulted in the cancelation of the U-20 World Cup group draw, which was scheduled to be held in Bali on March 31, 2023. Effendy said that the government has not made any plans if Indonesia is removed as the host of the U-20 World Cup. "We still hope that there will be a change in FIFA, and we will try to accommodate various kinds of resistance from internal parties," he added.
The minister said he believes that Indonesia can still hold the U-20 World Cup. Earlier, Israeli athletes have come to Indonesia for individual sports, including badminton player Misha Zilberman, who participated in the 2015 BWF World Championships at Istora Senayan, Jakarta, and cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev, who took part in the 2023 UCI Track Nations event in Jakarta.
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The participation of the Israeli national team in the U-20 World Cup has reaped pros and cons. Several parties in Indonesia are critical of Israel because of its conflict with Palestine. Thus, Israel’s presence at the World Cup became a hot topic in Indonesia, with some people saying they believe that Indonesia does not support Palestine because it has allowed Israel to participate in the tournament. The Israeli U-20 national football team qualified for the 2023 U-20 World Cup after emerging as finalists in the 2022 U-19 European Cup.
