Clubs Need Clear Time Frame on Liga 1 Cessation

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Gatot S. Dewa Broto (center) is accompanied by Indonesian Professional Sports Agency (BOPI) general chairman Richard Sambera (far left) and Deputy IV of the National Sports Achievement Improvement Division of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Mulyana (third right), as he speaks at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday (24/9/2018). BOPI has asked the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and PT Liga Indonesia Baru to suspend Liga 1 soccer matches for one week, investigate the recent death of a soccer fan and impose strict sanctions on the parties responsible.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Soccer clubs competing in the Go-Jek Liga 1 premier soccer tournament must respect the Indonesian Soccer Association’s (PSSI) decision to temporarily suspend all Liga 1 matches until further notice and to find the best solution to prevent future violence among soccer fans. However, the clubs will need a clear time frame for the suspension to readjust their training schedules and explain the situation to their sponsors.

The decision to suspend the tournament temporarily was made on Tuesday evening (25/9/2018) during a meeting of the PSSI’s Special Committee, following the death of Haringga Sirla on Sunday (23/9). Haringga was a supporter of Jakarta’s Persija soccer club who was killed when a group of supporters of the rival team, Bandung’s Persib, assaulted him before a match.