National Team Naturalization Players Enliven The 2024 Election, Starting From Rafael Struick, Marc Klok To Nyoblos Sandy Walsh First

PHOTO via Instagram @andywalsh

JAKARTA - Rows of naturalized players from the Indonesian national team can certainly contribute to the 2024 General Election (Pemilu). Officially with the status of Indonesian citizens (WNI) they now have voting rights in the five-year democratic party.

Rafael Struick is the latest naturalized player in the national team. After completing the transfer of citizens in May 2023, Struick is now eligible to give his voting rights.

Together with Struick, Ivar Jenner also has a Identity Card (KTP) as an Indonesian citizen. That way these two players clearly have a voice to participate in voting.

Currently, Struick and Ivar Jenner are both staying in the Netherlands because they play for domestic clubs, ADO Den Hague and FC Utrecht.

In Indonesia, the elections were held simultaneously on February 14. However, the positions of Struick and Jenner domiciled abroad made them should follow the election process at the local Indonesian Embassy which is usually held first.

Although they have not shown activities related to the election, formally Rafael Struick and Ivar Jenner have met the requirements to participate in voting rights.

Unlike Rafael Struick and Ivar Jenner, who have not shown their voting activities in the 2024 General Election, other naturalized players, Sandy Walsh, are so enthusiastic.

Wals, who has also been on the passport of the Republic of Indonesia, is very excited to use his first voting rights as an Indonesian citizen at the Indonesian Embassy in Belgium. On February 11, Wals, who lives in Brussels because he was defending KV Mechelen club, showed the moment when he gave his voting rights for the first time.

Together with team-mates in the national team, Marselino Ferdinand, Sandy Walsh went to the Indonesian Embassy in Belgium to vote. Appearing in a dark batik shirt, Wals had invited Indonesian citizens not to forget to vote.

"Let's go to the TPS," said Sandy Walsh while showing his fingers marked with blue ink as a sign that he had given voting rights.

Enthusiasm in the election was also shown by the national team's mainstay senior naturalized player, Marc Klok. The player who plays for Persib Bandung will use his first voting rights this year.

Marck, who had a Bali ID card, even expressed his desire to be able to vote in Bandung, as the location where he currently lives.

In view of the status of Indonesian citizens since November 2020, Klok also has a lot of hope for Indonesia's new leader. Klok hopes that Indonesia can be even better in the future.

"The most important thing for me is that Indonesia is currently in the process of increasing and everything is getting better. From the economy, then football is also getting better," said Klok, quoted from Persib Bandung's official website.

Apart from Rafael Struick, Ivar Jenner, Sandy Walsh and Marc Klok a number of naturalized players such as Elkan Baggott, Jordi Amat, Shayne Pattynama, to Justin Hubner, have also formally met the requirements to participate in the 2024 General Election and Presidential Election (Pilpres).