Matches of the U-17 World Cup will take place at four stadiums in four cities in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Surakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya.
"All preparations for the stadiums that will host the U-17 World Cup have been completed," he remarked in Jakarta on Monday (October 30).
The minister noted that the stadiums were all set to be used during the holding of the junior-level football world championship that will take place from November 10 to December 2 this year.
Earlier, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) appointed Indonesia as the host for the upcoming U-17 World Cup during a session of the FIFA Council held at the organization's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
The appointment was made following the failure of Peru, as the initial host for the tournament, to provide certainty regarding the readiness of infrastructure required for organizing the event.
As a result, FIFA decided to revoke the hosting status of the South American country and transfer it to Indonesia.
The opening ceremony of the championship is scheduled to be held at Gelora Bung Tomo (GBT) Stadium in Surabaya, East Java, on November 10.
During its journey in the Group A preliminary round, the Indonesian U-17 national team will take the GBT Stadium as its home base.
Chairperson of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir had stated earlier on Sunday (October 29) that the GBT Stadium is 100 percent feasible and ready to host the U-17 World Cup 2023.
He then remarked that President of FIFA Gianni Infantino is scheduled to personally attend the opening ceremony of the U-17 World Cup at GBT Stadium on November 10.
"God Willing, the FIFA President will come to Jakarta on November 9 and arrive here (in Surabaya) the day after. He has expressed his commitment to attending the opening and closing ceremonies," he stated.
He underscored that President Joko Widodo will surely join the ceremonies.
In addition to the GBT Stadium, the tournament will take place at Jakarta International Stadium, Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung, West Java, and Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Central Java.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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