Giving Motivation To Indonesian U-20 National Team Players, President Jokowi: There Are Still Many Opportunities

President Jokowi met with the Indonesian U-20 national team players at SUGBK, Jakarta. (Photo: Doc. PSSI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met the U-20 Indonesian national team players at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Saturday, April 1. He gave motivation and enthusiasm after Indonesia was confirmed to have failed to hold the 2023 U-20 World Cup.

On this occasion, President Jokowi asked the players not to be discouraged. He said there are still many opportunities to compete in other international championships such as the SEA Games, Asian Games, AFF or the Olympics.

"This U-20 team because they are still young, they still have a chance. They can play at the SEA Games, they can play at the Asian Games, they can play at the AFF, they can still play at the 2024 Olympics, I think the opportunity is still long," Jokowi said at a press conference after meeting with the U-20 national team players.

"Today I was present at Gelora Bung Karno to encourage the U-20 team, so that they don't get involved in disappointment and sadness," he continued, as quoted from Antara, Saturday, April 1.

Jokowi said that the government wanted to have a national team built and fostered from the start so that the team had good readiness and quality. He again emphasized that there are still many opportunities for U-20 national team players.

"I told them not to be discouraged," he said.

FIFA decided to write off Indonesia from the host status of the 2023 U-20 World Cup on Wednesday, March 29, evening for reasons of "up-to-date conditions" in Indonesia.

Before FIFA made the decision, in the country there was a wave of rejection from various parties, including a number of regional heads, against the arrival of the Israeli team to compete in the 2023 U-20 World Cup.