Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked the Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Imam Nahrawi to announce decision on the faith of the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) within a couple of days.
Minister Nahrawi along with FIFA-established Ad-Hoc committee chairman Agum Gumelar met with President Jokowi here on Wednesday to discuss about the faith of PSSI after being sanctioned by FIFA since May 30, 2015.
Previously, Agum Gumelar said, FIFA will not lift its sanctions until the government lifts its suspension of the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI).
Nahrawi also explained that the government wants that the FIFAs sanction will not last long.
Regarding the suspension against PSSI, the minister stated, "There should be prerequisite if it (the suspension) will be lifted. Reform (as the prerequisite) must be upheld and the president stressed on this point."
According to him, accountability, in addition to the reform, should also be upheld (by PSSI).
Recently, Agum Gumelar urged the Youth Affairs Ministry to merge with the ad-hoc committee before the FIFAs extraordinary congress scheduled for February 26, 2016.
Agum, who was previously the general chairman of the PSSI, made the observation in Jakarta last Thursday (Feb 4).
"We dont want FIFAs sanctions against Indonesia to last any longer as we realize that the sanctions may have an impact on Indonesias position at a time when it is set to host the 2018 Asian Games, Agum pointed out.
FIFAs sanctions have resulted in a ban on the Indonesian soccer teams participating in international tournaments.
The sanctions were imposed as FIFA believed that the PSSI had violated the FIFA statutes, article 13 and 17, by letting the outsiders intervene, namely the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Indonesian Professional Sports Agency (BOPI).
"The FIFA Executive Committee decided that the Youth and Sports Ministry (Kemenpora) and BOPI intervened in the management of the PSSI, resulting in the PSSI violating FIFA Statutes article 13 and 17," in accordance with a letter signed by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.
Another crucial point is that as a result of the FIFAs sanctions, Indonesia lost its membership of the international football association.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016