Lovers of the beautiful game have been eagerly anticipating the 2021 U-20 (Under 20) World Cup in Indonesia, but, like many other sporting events around the world, plans to hold the tournament might go up in the air because of the pandemic.
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During a virtual cabinet meeting today, President Joko Widodo called on his ministers to convince the world that it’s still capable of hosting the tournament, which is scheduled to be held in six Indonesian cities from May to June 2021.
“We have to convince that Indonesia has prepared stringent health protocols, so that it becomes a safe destination to visit and to hold the 2021 U-20 World Cup,” Jokowi said.
Of course, the reality in 2020 was that there were never really any stringent measures to prevent or contain coronavirus outbreaks in Indonesia, which has reported 365,240 confirmed cases as of Oct. 19.
There’s little cause for optimism on the sporting front, too. While major soccer competitions have resumed behind closed doors, in Indonesia, authorities have not signed off on the resumption of the country’s top soccer leagues over health concerns.
A decision to restart domestic competitions, which are necessary for the preparation of young players expected to represent Indonesia in the 2021 U-20 World Cup, is expected in November.
Last year, Indonesia beat out bids from Brazil and Peru to win hosting rights for the biennial tournament. Two other ASEAN nations, namely Thailand and Myanmar, were once in contention but dropped out of the bidding process.
Success of hosting the U-20 World Cup may better Indonesia’s chances of seeing the 2034 World Cup be played on its shores. Last year, Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha announced that all 10 ASEAN member countries would be submitting a joint bid for sport’s biggest quadrennial event in 15 years’ time.
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