INDONESIA’S WIDODO SAYS NO FIFA SANCTIONS AFTER STADIUM DISASTER

Sat 08 October 2022:

FIFA will not penalize Indonesia for the use of tear gas by the police inside a crowded soccer stadium, which caused a crush and stampede that claimed 131 lives, including 17 children.

The Under-20 World Cup, which will feature 24 nations from five continents, will continue to be held in Indonesia, according to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who also claimed that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had written to him about possible joint ventures between FIFA and Indonesia.

“Based on the letter, thank God, Indonesian football is not sanctioned by FIFA,” Widodo said in a tweet and a video posted on the presidential office’s YouTube channel late on Friday night.

Saya telah menerima surat dari FIFA menyusul pembicaraan melalui telepon saya dengan Presiden FIFA, Gianni Infantino, beberapa waktu lalu.

Bagaimana keputusan FIFA atas tragedi sepak bola di Stadion Kanjuruhan, 1 Oktober lalu? https://t.co/tsKciY53ZZ

— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) October 7, 2022

Following the defeat of the home team Arema, supporters surrounded the field, and police used tear gas to quell what they termed “riots.”

As panicked spectators rushed to exit gates but they were either locked or blocked by police, the choking gas clouds started a stampede.

Spectators suffocated in the chaos while others were trampled to death. At least 34 people, including two police officers, died at the stadium. Many died later of their injuries.

In its security protocols for football events, FIFA advises against the use of tear gas in or around stadiums and recommends exit gates be unlocked at all times during a game.

Widodo also said the Indonesian government had agreed to take collaborative measures with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation to improve stadium safety to prevent another tragedy.

FIFA’s Infantino would also visit Indonesia in the near future, he said.

Widodo ordered the sport minister, the national police chief and the football federation to conduct a thorough investigation into the deadly stadium crush.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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