Denies Peru Replaces Indonesia As Host Of The 2023 U-20 World Cup, Plt Menpora: There Are Conditions Recommended By FIFA

Acting Minister of Youth and Sports Muhadjir Effendy. (Photo via ANTARA/Gilang Galiartha)

JAKARTA - Acting Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Muhadjir Effendy denied reports that FIFA had appointed Peru to replace Indonesia as the host of the 2023 U-20 World Cup.

Muhadjir even believes that FIFA will understand Indonesia's attitude regarding the participation of the Israeli team in the U-20 World Cup.

"Ah, where is it? Not yet. We haven't. We'll see later developments, which is clear that Insha Allah FIFA is very understanding of Indonesia and there won't be any, hopefully, there won't be sanctions imagined that are scary," said Muhadjir at the Jakarta Presidential Palace.

Previously, Muhadjir said that the Indonesian government fully adhered to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia in organizing the U-20 World Cup. He said the government had sent a number of conditions according to the 1945 Constitution to FIFA regarding Israel's participation.

If previously Muhadjir said the terms were rejected by FIFA, this time he gave a different statement. He said that there were conditions that FIFA had accommodated.

"Yes, later, wait for the announcement from FIFA. Insha Allah is not as scary as the analysts," said Muhadjir, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, March 28.

The 2023 U-20 World Cup is planned to be held at six stadiums in Indonesia from May 20 to June 11.

Israel has become one of the first countries to get tickets for the 2023 U-20 World Cup finals thanks to its success in becoming second place in the 2022 U-19 European Cup in the summer last year.

The pros and cons of Israel's participation in the 2023 U-20 World Cup have surfaced in recent weeks following the rejection attitude conveyed by Bali Governor I Wayan Koster and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

However, the pro-con echo was not as busy as this time when the Israeli delegation attended the 144th Assembly Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Bali in 2022 and when Israeli athletes competed in Indonesia, including cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev who took part in the 2023 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup Jakarta Series, 23-26 February.