Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 18: President Joko Widodo announced on Tuesday that the Indonesian football stadium where a stampede claimed 133 lives would be demolished and rebuilt. The announcement came as FIFA President Sepp Blatter promised to assist “reform and develop” the sport in the nation.
Just over two weeks after the disaster and one year before the Under-20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the Southeast Asian country, Gianni Infantino met Widodo in Jakarta.
On October 1, more than 40 children died in the city of Malang, East Java, in what Infantino called “one of the worst days for football.”
#UPDATE | Indonesia to demolish football stadium where crush killed 133, reports AFP News Agency citing president https://t.co/4YhUKqFPmi
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022
Following a pitch invasion after a league game between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, police shot tear gas into the crowded stadium, causing a stampede.
“For Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, we will demolish and rebuild it according to FIFA standards,” Widodo told reporters.
“The replacement stadium will have proper facilities that can ensure the safety of both players and supporters,” he added.