The progress of the Under-20 World Cup, scheduled for Indonesia (May 20-June 11), is currently on hold. The draw was supposed to take place on Friday, but the event was cancelled. The presence of Israel in the table arouses controversy among various Federations, including that of Indonesia.
Several days ago, Wayan Koster, the governor of Bali – the island in the south of the country – asked the central government not to welcome the Jewish state. A request that came as the organizers wanted to play the team’s matches in Bali, a place where Hindus are in the majority.
A demonstration took place in Jakarta
In this Muslim country with a population of 277 million, the State of Israel is not officially recognized because of the conflict with Palestine. A demonstration even took place in Jakarta, the capital, to demand the exclusion of the country from the competition.
The Minister of Sports declared that the government’s commitment to welcoming Israel could not be called into question, causing an imbroglio and a suspension of the draw. FIFA has not communicated on the subject for the moment.