The Indonesian government has announced that it will demolish and rebuild a football stadium where a stampede killed over 130 people this month.
The announcement was made by Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo as he also vowed to “thoroughly transform” the sport in the soccer-mad nation.
The president, was speaking to reporters at the state palace after meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino
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“Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang…we will demolish it and rebuild according to FIFA standards,” he said.
The deadly stampede after a league match in the city of Malang on Oct 1 has been blamed on police firing tear gas in the stadium, a crowd control measure banned by FIFA.
The president said he had agreed with Infantino on significant changes to how the sport was managed in Indonesia.
The meeting between Joko and Infantino comes after Indonesia and FIFA agreed to form a joint task-force in the wake of the stadium tragedy, and as the country prepares to host the Under-20 World Cup next year.
Speaking alongside the Indonesia President, Infantino said FIFA’s first priority was to ensure the safety of both players and fans in the Southeast Asian nation.
Infantino, who gave the president a red FIFA jersey with his name on it, said the global soccer body would work closely with the government to ensure that all stadiums met safety standards and that the Under-20 World Cup ran smoothly next year.
