President Joko Widodo said today that Kanjuruhan Stadium — the site of one of the worst soccer-related tragedies in the world — will be torn down to make way for a better, safer stadium.
Jokowi met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta today, during which the pair discussed the future of Indonesian soccer.
After the meeting, Jokowi said he outlined to Infantino the government’s plan to rebuild Kanjuruhan Stadium — home of Arema FC in Malang, East Java.
“FIFA appreciates that we will demolish Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, and we will rebuild it to comply with FIFA standards, in that it will feature decent facilities and guarantees for the safety of spectators and players,” Jokowi told reporters today, without providing a timeline.
While Kanjuruhan may be lacking in safety standards like many soccer stadia in Indonesia, it can hardly be blamed for the disaster.
Arema hosted rivals Persebaya on Oct. 1. A stampede ensued after the final whistle, claiming the lives of 133 people and injuring hundreds more. While there was an attempt to place the blame on soccer hooliganism, an independent fact-finding team (TGPIF) has found that police’s excessive use of tear gas — which is banned by FIFA — was the main cause of the deadly stampede.
TGPIF has also found evidence pointing to police attempting to absolve themselves from blame, such as by removing CCTV footage from the stadium.
FIFA has pledged a more hands-on approach to overseeing reforms in Indonesian soccer in light of the disaster, including by setting up a representative office in the country.
After the meeting with Infantino, President Jokowi also confirmed that Indonesia will host the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in May next year, putting an end to concerns within the government that FIFA would take away the country’s hosting rights due to the Kanjuruhan tragedy.
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