FIFA Works With Indonesian Football Body To Form TaskForce

The Indonesian Football Association with the world soccer governing body, FIFA will form a joint task force in a bid to advance crowd control and safety measures after a deadly soccer stampede earlier this month.

Indonesian Authorities are under pressure to take drastic measures to upgrade soccer safety standards after the death of over 130 people during a crowd crush at a match, at the Kanjuruhan stadium in East Java on October 1.

Security professionals said that the firing of tear gas by police inside the stadium is prohibited by FIFA, which triggered the fatal stampede.

“We agreed to form a task force, or soccer transformation task force, consisting of the government, FIFA, and experts in soccer, security, and stadiums,” the PSSI head, Mochamad Iriawan, told reporters after a meeting with FIFA officials.

”Under the plans, Indonesian Police would ensure their standard operating procedures were synchronised with FIFA regulations,” he said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, said FIFA did not plan to sanction his country over the incident, but the rare intervention by the Sports governing body comes as Indonesia is due to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup next year.

Reuters/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma