FIFA suspends the draw for the U-20 World Cup

The island’s governor sent a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to protest against the involvement of the Jewish state, and received the support of his own party’s presidential candidate. According to observers, this is a political maneuver to gain consensus among conservative sectors, ahead of next year’s elections.

Jakarta () – The International Football Federation (FIFA) has suspended the draw for the U-20 World Cup, which was to be held on March 31 in Bali. The decision was made after the island’s governor, Wayan Koster, sent a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, demanding Israel’s withdrawal from the competition. The local leader stated that he would deny access to any Israeli athlete, despite the fact that dozens of Israelis can visit the island for tourism purposes.

The issue had already been raised in recent days by Ganjar Pranowo, the current governor of Central Java and a candidate for next year’s presidential elections. According to several commentators, with the criticism of Israel – with which Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, does not maintain formal diplomatic relations – it seeks to harvest consensus ahead of the elections scheduled for February 2024. For their part, the organizers hoped that by holding the tournament in Hindu-majority Bali, the participation of the Jewish state would not generate as much controversy.

Both Koster and Pranowo belong to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDIP), a nationalist party led by Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, and herself its president in the early 2000s. In recent weeks, nearly 100 Muslim conservatives have also organized a protest march in the capital Jakarta.

FIFA has not yet released an official letter of cancellation, Arya Sinulingga, head of the Indonesian Football Federation, said today. “We have no idea when and where the draws and opening ceremony will take place after FIFA’s decision,” Sinulingga added.

The federation confirmed that the 24 teams qualified for the World Cup, which will be held in Bali from May 20 to June 11, 2023, will participate in the event. It would be shameful if only 23 teams participated in the opening ceremony,” said Akmal Marhali, founder of the group Save our Soccer, “Let’s save our football”. The soccer expert and fan criticized Koster’s letter, which circulated on social media and sparked a debate about the presence of Israelis on Indonesian soil for tourism purposes. Moreover, thousands of Indonesian pilgrims attempt to visit the Holy Land each year using external Israeli services in Singapore.

In the past, on many occasions, Indonesia has expressed its concern about the Israeli occupation and the harsh actions against the Palestinians. Conservative religious groups, for their part, have used the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to organize rallies and show Jakarta’s political support for the Palestinians.