For The First Time, VAR Will Be Used In The U-20 EPA Final In Solo

SOLO - PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) has finally officially operated a video assistant referee (VAR) for the first time in Indonesia. The VAR experiment will be used in the U-20 Elite Pro Academi (EPA) final in Solo.

The final match which took place at Manahan Stadium, Solo, on Thursday, March 7, 2024, will bring together Persita Tangerang U-20 against Persis Solo U-20.

The operation of VAR in this match became the first historical record in Indonesia that has been launched for a long time.

"Don't miss the final match of the Elite Pro Academy (EPA) Liga 1 U-20 2023/24 between Persita Tangerang U-20 vs Persis Solo U-20. This match will also be used to test the application of VAR technology," wrote PT LIB's official statement on Instagram @epaliga1 quoted Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Previously, a spokesman for PT LIB, Sabina Badminton, said that the use of VAR would be used in all the remaining 2023/2024 Liga 1 matches.

"Yes, simultaneously all matches (in the remainder of the 2023/2024 Liga 1 season) will use VAR," Sabina said in January 2024.

However, the realization for League 1 seems to be delayed. Most recently, PSSI and PT LIB most likely operated VAR during the 2023/2024 League 1 Championship Series in May 2024.

Previously, it was known that some time ago PT LIB had inspected several stadiums that were suitable for VAR operation. One of them is Batakan Stadium in Balikpapan City.

At that time, Borneo FC gave the inspection moment on Instagram.

The existence of VAR is expected to improve the quality of the Indonesian League and minimize referee's mistakes in making decisions that often lead to controversy in Indonesian football.