Indonesia To Demolish & Rebuild Football Stadium Where Stampede Killed 133: Report

Indonesia President made the decision after meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in capital Jakarta, just a year ahead of Under-20 World Cup, set to be hosted by the Southeast Asian nation.

Indonesia President said the replacement stadium will have "proper facilities that can ensure the safety of both players and supporters".

Indonesia Stadium Stampede: Preparations are underway to demolish a football stadium in Indonesia where 133 people were killed in a stampede earlier this month, news agency AFP reported. Indonesia's president Joko Widodo on Tuesday promised to demolish the stadium and rebuild it so that no such incident is repeated in the future. The country's top leader made the decision after meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the capital Jakarta, just a year ahead of Under-20 World Cup, set to be hosted by the Southeast Asian nation.

"For Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, we will demolish and rebuild it according to FIFA standards," Widodo told AFP.

He said the replacement stadium will have "proper facilities that can ensure the safety of both players and supporters".

#UPDATE | Indonesia to demolish football stadium where crush killed 133, reports AFP News Agency citing president https://t.co/4YhUKqFPmi

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

The tragic incident took place after a league match between Arema FC and rivals Persebaya Surabaya in the city of Malang, East Java on October 1. The main reason for the horrific incident was supporters invading the pitch, leading to police releasing tear gas shells in the packed stands, sparking a stampede. Ever since the dreadful incident, FIFA has been very active in this matter and is constantly monitoring the situation as well as the aftermath. 

"We will reform and transform football in this country," Infantino added, flanking Widodo.

"What I can guarantee to all the people of Indonesia: FIFA is here with you, FIFA is here to stay, FIFA is here to work in a very close partnership with the government, with the Asian Football Confederation and with the federation of Indonesia," Infantino said.

"We will bring our experts, we will help and invest and we will make sure that Indonesia shines on the global football stage."

Widodo said he agreed with FIFA "on a thorough transformation of Indonesian football to ensure all aspects of the matches follow the international safety standards".

(With AFP Inputs)