The Indonesian government has announced plans to invest $175 million to upgrade 21 football stadiums across the archipelago. These efforts will contribute towards building the country’s sports infrastructure and quality of football venues.
This collaboration with the FIFA federation will enhance stadium safety and security while allocating PSSI training centres in the Indonesian capital, national team training camps for both men’s and women’s national teams, and renovating football stadiums.
The largest portion of the funding will be directed towards constructing the North Sumatra Main Stadium in Medan. This 25,000-capacity stadium is a key avenue for National Sports Week. Another stadium that will receive the major beneficiary is the 45,000-capacity Harapan Bangsa Stadium (US$30 million).
Indonesia’s finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, emphasized how this funding will be used to improve venues in Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and South Sulawesi.
“This year the state budget with a budget of IDR 2.874 trn will finance the renovation and construction of 21 stadiums in various locations in Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Java, Banten, Central Java, East Java, DI Yogyakarta, South Sulawesi, South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan,” Sri Mulyani said.
In response to President Widodo’s directives, Dito Ariotedjo, the minister of Youth and Sports highlighted the significance of this initiative, “in the future, (the) President … asks for a better utilisation of the stadium by the clubs. So usually the stadiums are managed by the local government. In the future, it will be developed to be managed by the private sector, namely the club occupies the stadium.”
PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia) was founded in 1930 and has been affiliated with FIFA since 1952. Key component of this collaboration is that MOU signed with FIFA in 2023 during the 17 world cup.
This ambitious project aims to transform the football infrastructure in Indonesia aligning with the international FIFA standards for players and fans alike.
