Fulfilling The Menpora Invitation, PSSI Chairman Discusses Budget To Venue For The 2023 U-17 World Cup

PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir (left) together with Menpora Dito Ariotedjo gave a press statement regarding the 2023 U-17 World Cup. (Photo: Ulfa Gusti Utami/VOI)

JAKARTA - PSSI General Chair (Ketum) Erick Thohir, fulfilled the invitation of the Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Dito Ariotedjo at the Kemenpora Office, Friday, July 7. This meeting is to discuss preparations for the 2023 U-17 World Cup in Indonesia.

Erick Thohir said that this meeting emphasized more about the discussion regarding the budget and location of the event. The reason is that preparations must be maximized considering that the tournament will be held next November.

"For the budget, administration will be the most detailed concern," said the man who is also the Minister of SOEs.

"Of course, according to the Minister's invitation, we from PSSI were here to convey plans for the preparation of the U-17 World Cup," said Erick Thohir during a press conference.

"But of course what is important in discussing the budget is the administrative process that is a priority, because in making the state budget there must be a process."

"Therefore, Inshaallah, the Minister has proposed a limited meeting (Ratas) to the President next week. And of course there will be derivatives, one of which is the budget allocation," he continued.

Regarding the budget for the U-17 World Cup, the chairman of PSSI said that his party and the Ministry of Youth and Sports were still synchronizing. He revealed that the number to be proposed this time was not much different from when the U-20 World Cup was canceled.

"Of course we and the Ministry of Sports above synchronize the budget which is actually not much different from the U-20," said Erick Thohir.

The Minister of Youth and Sports also expressed the same thing. He said PSSI proposed a number that was not much different from the previous event. The 32-year-old minister also revealed the budget range to be proposed at the President's meeting.

"So the request from Mr. Ketum for budgeting is actually not much different from U-20. So we will take this to Ratas to ask for further directions from the President," said Dito.

"The range (budget) is around 400 billion," he said.

Regarding the field to be used for the event, Erick Thohir said that there would be four to eight stadiums that would be the location. But that is still uncertain because they are still waiting for FIFA's presence in the country to select the location that has been prepared

"Kedua tadi kami sampaikan hasil pertemuan dengan FIFA. Sesuai ajuan lapangan-field yang kami prioritaskan untuk venue ada empat atau delapan," sebut Erick.

"But (the field decision) is still waiting for FIFA to come to Indonesia to select the proposed field. Of course we prioritized the previous field," he added.