JakartaGlobe-Feb 20
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday told the freshly picked executives of the Indonesian Football Association, or PSSI, which includes two of his ministers, to design a blueprint for the well-beloved sport. This blueprint should also define the short-term, medium-term, as well as long-term goals for Indonesian football. Jokowi told the association’s top brass that he was aware that improving the country’s football was not an easy task. “This is our favorite sport. So I would like to especially request for a well-thought blueprint for both the long term and midterm,” Jokowi said when meeting the PSSI committee at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday. At a post-meeting presser, PSSI pledged to devise the blueprint at Jokowi’s behest. According to PSSI chairman Erick Thohir, the government was ready to back PSSI up to build the necessary training camp for the national team. “As well as the necessary infrastructure such as the football pitches for international championships. And if possible, the permit for the football match is issued three months before the football season,” Erick, who is also the current state-owned enterprise minister, said. The National Police have pledged to strengthen the “football mafia” taskforce in a bid to combat match-fixing. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/new-pssi-execs-told-to-create-national-football-blueprint
