FIFA cancels U-20 World Cup draw in Indonesia after requests to exclude Israel

The FIFA decided to cancel the raffle Sub 20 world which was to be held on March 31 on the island of Bali, due to the controversy over the rejection expressed in the country against Israel, reported the soccer federation of Indonesian (PSSI).

Through a statement, the Asian body reported that it has not received an official reason for the cancellation, but linked the measure to a letter from the governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, who asked for a veto of the israeli national team in the competition on the island.

“The draw was cancelled. We will be able to understand this as there has been an opposition from the governor of Bali”, said Arya Sinulingga, a member of the federation’s steering committee, at a press conference on Sunday. “Israel is a participant and the draw cannot be done without all the participants”, he added.

The U-20 World Cup is scheduled to take place between May 20 and June 11 in various cities on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali.

On March 14, Koster sent a letter to the Indonesian government to request that the participation of the Israeli team be vetoed, alleging that “Israel’s policies towards Palestine are inconsistent with the policies of the Republic of Indonesia,” a defender of the Palestinian cause.

The president of the Indonesian federation, Arya Sinulingga, indicated that he is coordinating a solution with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and that of Youth and Sports, while warning of the consequences of canceling the World Cup. Thus, the federation warned that Indonesia might not be able to aspire to organize another FIFA World Cup and even some Indonesian soccer categories could be banned from some competitions.

Indonesia, the country with the most Muslims in the world, and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have submitted their bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

In addition to the regional head of Bali, the governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, has also called for Israel’s veto, while on March 20 dozens of Muslims marched in Jakarta to protest against the participation of their team in the competition.

Despite the negative reactions to the presence of the Israeli team, the Indonesian government, a strong supporter of the Palestinians and which does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, said it would not prevent the country from participating in the tournament but assured that it would maintain its “consistent ” position regarding the Palestinian conflict.