Menpora Bujuk Club Releases Players To The U-23 Indonesian National Team To Maximize In The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup

Menpora Dito Ariotedjo wants Liga 1 club to release players to the U-23 Indonesian national team (doc. Kemenpora).

JAKARTA - The Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora), Dito Ariotedjo, also commented on a number of League 1 clubs that were reluctant to release players to the U-23 Indonesian national team. Dito persuaded the club to release players for maximum results in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup.

The U-23 Indonesian national team will undergo the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup which will take place in Qatar from April 15 to May 3, 2024. This agenda is important because it is a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Seeing the tournament that is the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shin Tae-yong as the head coach of the U-23 Indonesian national team clearly wants to bring in the best players for satisfactory results.

Even so, in fact, a number of clubs have stated that it is difficult to release the players to the U-23 Indonesian national team. Moreover, this tournament is not the official FIFA agenda that makes the club have the right to decide. In addition, the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup also rolled along with the 2023/2024 Liga 1 crucial week.

Responding to this, the Minister of Youth and Sports hopes that clubs will not prevent players from being released to the U-23 Indonesian national team. According to him, it would be better if the state's summons were prioritized.

"Yes, of course we always monitor that the league schedule and agendas of FIFA we hope to be in harmony. I certainly want when the state calls, (all) fight for Red and White. Moreover, if the official FIFA agenda," said Dito Ariteedjo in his statement quoted Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

"We hope that the clubs can (understand) the Red-White soul to release it (players) to the U-23 Indonesian national team," he said.

Despite efforts to find a middle ground between the club and the Indonesian national team, the Menpora said that the Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports had provided assistance to PSSI which oversees the U-23 Indonesian national team.

The disbursement of financial assistance for the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup was given because the event was also a qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. To qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Garuda Squad must be able to occupy at least the top four, aka the semifinalists.

In the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup, the team ranked first, second, and third will automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While fourth will play the playoffs against representatives from Africa.