The Indonesian president intercedes with Fifa after the draw for the Under-20 World Cup has been suspended

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced on Tuesday that he would send the president of the football federation to Switzerland to discuss with FIFA the Under-20 World Cup, scheduled in the archipelago but whose draw was canceled after a request by the governor of Bali to ban the competition the Israel team.

Scheduled for Friday in Bali, the draw was “cancelled” by Fifa. A national soccer official linked this decision to statements by the governor of Bali, who opposes Israel’s presence in the competition.

So far, FIFA has not commented. In the last few hours, a rumor claimed that the president of the AFA, Claudio Chiqui Tapia, had offered Argentina as the venue for the Youth World Cup, which would have given him the possibility of entering the competition from the window that he could not. in the standings with Javier Mascherano in the lead.

“I sent the head of the Indonesian Football Federation, Erick Thorhirso that he can meet a FIFA team and study the best solution,” President Widodo said in a message posted on the Internet on Tuesday.

Widodo did not specify when the meeting will take place or which FIFA officials he will meet with thohirThat He also holds ministerial functions in the country and that he was the owner of Inter.

Wayan Koster, the governor of Bali, had called for a boycott of the Israeli team due to Indonesia’s policy of supporting Palestinians, in a letter sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Under-20 World Cup, which brings together 24 teams, will be played in various cities of the Southeast Asian archipelago from 20 May to 11 June.

It is the first time that the Israeli team has qualified for this competition and the Indonesian government has promised to ensure the safety of all participants.

Indonesia, the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, and the Jewish state do not maintain diplomatic relations. The organizers had planned to play the Israeli team in Bali, a predominantly Hindu island, to avoid problems, but the governor’s opposition questioned this plan.

In mid-March about a hundred demonstrators, sympathizers of conservative Muslim groups, protested in Jakarta against the participation of the Israeli team.

Political officials warned that Indonesia risked losing its hosting of the competition and being isolated from FIFA if it did not address this issue.

Indonesia was the scene of one of the worst disasters in football history. Last October, 135 fans lost their lives in an avalanche that occurred in a stadium on the island of Java.

Indonesian authorities have worked hard to restore the country’s reputation, which was suspended by FIFA in 2015 due to government meddling in football affairs.

With information from AFP