After The Blackpink Concert, SUGBK Sterile

GBK Main Stadium. (Photo via Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)

JAKARTA - Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, will be used for the Blackpink concert on March 11-12. After that, SUGBK will be sterile from activities outside football.

This was conveyed by the President Director of PPK GBK Rakhmadi Afif Kusumo. He said SUGBK would focus on preparing to hold the 2023 U-20 World Cup after becoming the concert of the South Korean music group.

"For major activities we will complete it after 11-12 (March), after that there will be no more activities, to really fully prepare (World Cup) U-20," said Rakhmadi, as quoted from Antara, Friday, March 3.

The President Director of PPK GBK added that the preparations will begin precisely at the end of March. Preparations are made to ensure the readiness of SUGBK as one of the six stadiums to be used for the 2023 U-20 World Cup on May 20 to 11 June.

Rakhmadi also emphasized that PPK GBK regularly communicates and sends monthly reports to FIFA regarding detailed matters including activities that use SUGBK.

"Every month we report to FIFA about the standard pitch and also the evaluation of every existing activity," said Rakhmadi.

The activities reported were mainly related to the use of SUGBK for football matches. Rakhmadi gave an example of using SUGBK for two group stage matches and one leg for the 2022 AFF Cup semifinals as well as a series of U-20 friendly tournaments on February 17-21, 2023.

The report submitted to FIFA also includes a series of non-sports activities in SUGBK. So according to Rakhmadi, the world football authority has never clearly banned the use of SUGBK for non-sports events such as music concerts.

"In addition to sports activities, FIFA has also known, so FIFA actually does not clearly prohibit (that) we should not use them," he said.