Whatever the condition (result of the match), it must be accepted.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali asked the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) as the organizers of the professional football leagues in Indonesia to investigate the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy.

"I am concerned and sorry for the incident. Moreover, quite a lot of victims passed away. It should be a lesson for all of us, thus it (similar tragedy) will not happen again,” he said in a video monitored here on Sunday.

He admitted that he had not known the exact cause of the chaos which occurred after the League I match between Arema FC and Persebaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang District, East Java Province, on Saturday evening.



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Furthermore, he would immediately communicate with PSSI and PT LIB regarding the incident.

The minister also expressed his condolences for the deaths of 127 supporters due to the violence. Hence, he asked the supporters to act more maturely.

"This is a sport. Thus, in a match, you may win or lose. The supporters should be educated to accept that there are winners as well as losers in football matches -- and other sports too. Whatever the condition (result of the match), it must be accepted," he added.

Aremania – fans of Arema FC of Malang – got angry and stormed the pitch to chase football players and officials after their team lost 2-3 to Persebaya of Surabaya .


Related news: 129 killed, 180 injured in stampede after Malang football match


Meanwhile, Persebaya players and officials immediately left the field and stadium using four armored police vehicles. As quoted from the team’s official media social account, the players and officials were stuck and surrounded by the supporters for about an hour while leaving the area. The situation in the stadium became more dangerous as the remaining supporters threw a number of flares as well as other objects.

The joint security personnel, including police and military, attempted to dismiss the supporters by shooting tear gases, leading to a stampede as Arema supporters were rushing to an exit gate, leading many of them trampled and fainted. Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendi informed in Malang District on Sunday that two more victims of the riot passed away after receiving medical treatment – making the total of died victims of the incident to reach 129 people as of Sunday at 11.37 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).


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Translator: Muhammad Ramdan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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