The International Football Federation (FIFA) The draw for the under-20 world cup to be held on the Indonesian island of Bali on March 31 has been canceled following controversy over the country’s rejection of Israel, the Indonesian soccer federation reported.
The Indonesian federation reported in a statement that it had not received an official reason for the cancellation, but attributed the move to a letter from the governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, which called for Israel’s veto of the island competition.
The U-20 World Cup is scheduled to take place between May 20 and June 11 in various cities on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali.
On March 14, coaster sent a letter to the Government of Indonesia to request that the participation of the Israeli team be vetoed, saying that “the policies of Israel towards Palestine are not consistent with the policies of the Republic of Indonesia”, defender of the Palestinian cause.
The president of the Indonesian federation, Arya Sinulingga, has indicated that he is in contact with a solution with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Youth and Sports, while warning of the consequences of canceling the World Cup.
Thus, the federation warned that Indonesia may not seek to organize another FIFA World Cup and even some Indonesian categories of soccer may be banned from some competitions.
Indonesia, the world’s most Muslim country, and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have submitted their bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
In addition to the head of the Bali region, the governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, also called for Israel’s veto, while on March 20 dozens of Muslims marched in Jakarta to protest against their team’s participation in competition.
Despite negative reactions to the presence of the Israeli team, the Indonesian government, a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and which has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, said it would not prevent the country from participating in the tournament but ensured that it would maintain its “consistent position in the Palestinian conflict.
About 87 percent of the more than 273 million Indonesians practice Islam, mostly moderate, although there are significant minorities of other religions such as Bali, which is dominated by Hinduism.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
