Prabowo, Thohir meet with IOC President, discuss Indonesia potential

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Chair of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach in France to discuss Indonesia's potential to host international sporting events in the future.

"We conveyed Indonesia's potential to host international sporting events in the future, including the Olympics," Thohir wrote in his Instagram account as accessed on Sunday.

He noted that President-elect Prabowo is always interested in the world of sports. Therefore, he aims to support the country to host international sporting events.

"Indonesia has been trusted to host various international sporting events, including the 2023 U-17 Football World Cup, the 2023 Basketball World Championship, and the 2018 Asian Games," he remarked.

Thohir also accompanied Prabowo to meet President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino to discuss extensive football cooperation between the two parties.

Infantino said on FIFA's official website on Sunday that they discussed FIFA's fantastic working relationship with Indonesia and PSSI, as well as the promising progress that Indonesia has made recently.

They also discussed the increasing popularity of football among young people, he said, adding that he was also touched on Indonesia's warm welcome and success in hosting the U-17 World Cup, the first FIFA tournament held in the country.

At the opening of the 2023 U-17 World Cup, Infantino and Thohir inaugurated FIFA's new regional office in Jakarta and signed a memorandum of understanding.

Stadium safety and security are identified as key pillars to support the transformation of Indonesian football, as written in the agreement.

As part of the initiative, a team from FIFA visited eight stadiums in four provinces in Indonesia between May 20-25, 2024.

In addition, the FIFA Forward Programme is also funding the construction of PSSI's first National Training Centre in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara. The National Training Centre will include the construction of natural grass fields, synthetic grass fields, dormitories, and changing rooms.