Chairperson of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, affirmed his side’s commitment to making continued efforts to develop women’s football in Indonesia.
He made the statement while giving a speech at the FIFA Women’s Football Workshop, which is being held in Jakarta from July 1–3, 2024.
“We are actually struggling to develop our women’s football. But, of course, there is a commitment from all members of the whole federation to waking up from our sleep,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram account @erickthohir, which was accessed from here.
In his speech, the PSSI chair also emphasized that the football federation is determined to continue striving to bolster Indonesian football’s competitiveness at the international level.
In recent years, he said, the PSSI has been taking notes from the experiences of other countries to identify the most suitable way to help national women’s football grow and develop.
While some countries have resorted to developing their women’s football scene from the grassroots level, the PSSI has decided to take a different approach by focusing on establishing national teams.
“This is actually the first time that our senior and junior women’s national teams are joining a training camp,” he stated.
He further noted that the PSSI has managed to get sponsors for teams at the junior level, namely the U-10, U-12, and U-14 teams.
In the caption of his Instagram post, Thohir said that it is an honor for Indonesia to host the FIFA Women’s Football Workshop, which has been joined by representatives of 46 Asian football associations.
He further said that he views the workshop as a valuable momentum for the PSSI to gain some insights into the development of women’s football at the global level.
“This is in line with our commitment to transforming and creating an ecosystem that enables women’s football to develop,” he added.
He also noted that the PSSI believes that women’s football is more than a mere game as it is closely linked to empowering women, promoting gender equality, and inspiring the next generation.
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Translator: Aloysius L, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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