Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali (right), accompanied by Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chairman Erick Thohir (left) and Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (centre), inspecting the progress of the construction of Manahan Stadium in Surakarta. - Antara This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "Surakarta ready to host U-20 World Cup draw: Gibran". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/03/28/surakarta-ready-to-host-u-20-world-cup-draw-gibran.html. Download The Jakarta Post app for easier and faster news access: Android: http://bit.ly/tjp-android iOS: http://bit.ly/tjp-ios
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): Mayor of Surakarta, Central Java, Gibran Rakabuming Raka said the city was ready to take the place of Bali to host the draw for the 2023 Fifa U-20 World Cup following the rejection from Bali Governor I Wayan Koster to stage the event, scheduled for next week.
Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, said he was waiting for a decision from the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) or the world's governing body for soccer, Fifa, should they agree on a change of venue.
"If there's an order from the PSSI or the Youth and Sports Minister, I am ready. But we're waiting to hear from the PSSI or Fifa," Gibran was quoted by Tempo.co as
Gibran added that preparations for hosting the U-20 World Cup at Manahan Stadium, one of venues for the tournament, are underway.
"The contract for renovation is still ongoing. Next week, we're going to deploy the pitch stitching machine and other equipment," Gibran said.
Indonesia's plan to host the U-20 World Cup could be in jeopardy following the decision from Fifa to cancel the draw in Bali. The country is due to host the 24-team tournament from May 20 to June 11.
The cancellation was announced after Koster refused to host the Israeli team. Koster was a senior member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
