Rainbow Armband Of LGBT In AFF Cup, PSSI Confirms National Team Rejects

PSSI General Chair, Mochamad Iriawan/VOI

JAKARTA - Chairman of PSSI, Mochamad Iriawan emphasized that the Indonesian national team will not wear rainbow tires when appearing at AFF 2021. This was revealed in connection with the support given by AFF organizers to the LGBT (Lesbi, Gay Bisexual, Transgender) movement.

Previously, it was known that in the Thailand national team match, Teerasil Dangda the captain used the rainbow armband when performing. Where the captain's armband became a symbol of support for the LGBT community.

This then caused a new polemic and received criticism from Indonesian football lovers. Regarding this, Iriawan ensured that the Garuda Squad would not use the rainbow captain's armband.

He will even immediately call PSSI's technical director, Indra Sjafri, who is accompanying the team in Singapore to ensure that the national team does not participate in supporting the movement.

"That's right, it's the right of each team, club, or country if you want to use it or not," said Iriawan in a statement received by VOI, Monday, December 6.

"(The Indonesian National Team) will not use it. I will call Indra Sjafri later. We have decided not to use it and will contact him there. If other countries are welcome, the culture is different," said the man who is often called Iwan Bule.

Iriawan also added that when competing later the national team will use the usual captain's armband. In fact, he will add an Indonesian identity by adding the Garuda logo.

"We just want the captain's armband to be normal, but the plan is for me to add an eagle," he concluded.

The Indonesian national team itself will only have its first game on December 9 against Cambodia. After that, Evan Dimas and the team will fight Laos December 12, Vietnam December 15, and Malaysia December 19, 2021.