IDNAround – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has told the Indonesian football association on Sunday to suspend the country’s premier football competition Liga 1, following the league’s deadly match in East Java.
According to the National Commission for the Human Rights (Komnas HAM), at least 153 people died in a riot and stampede in Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java after a match between rival teams Persebaya Surabaya and Arema Malang on Saturday. That figure increased from 127 deaths and 180 injured people in the National Police initial report.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences about the death of our brothers and sisters in a football tragedy in Kanjuruhan, Malang, East Java,” Jokowi said in a televised statement.
The president said he had asked the health minister and East Java governor to take a good care of the injured victims.
He also said he had asked the National Police and Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) to launch thorough investigation on the organizing of the Saturday’s tragic match.
“I have told the National Police Chief in particular to investigate this case,” Jokowi said.
“To that end, I also asked PSSI to suspend Liga 1, until a thorough evaluation and improvement on match security measures are made” Jokowi said.
“I hope this was the last football tragedy in our country. We must maintain sportmanship, humanity, and brotherhood of our nation,” Jokowi said.
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