Fury, Sadness in Indonesia after FIFA Pulls Under-20 World Cup

Indonesian football players, fans and pundits reacted with anger and sadness after FIFA pulled the Under-20 World Cup from the host nation. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
Indonesian football players, fans and pundits reacted with anger and sadness after FIFA pulled the Under-20 World Cup from the host nation. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
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Fury, Sadness in Indonesia after FIFA Pulls Under-20 World Cup

Indonesian football players, fans and pundits reacted with anger and sadness after FIFA pulled the Under-20 World Cup from the host nation. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
Indonesian football players, fans and pundits reacted with anger and sadness after FIFA pulled the Under-20 World Cup from the host nation. BAY ISMOYO / AFP

Indonesian football players, fans and pundits reacted with anger and sadness Thursday after FIFA pulled the Under-20 World Cup from the host nation weeks before it was due to kick off, following protests against Israel's participation.

The humiliating loss came after two influential governors advocated banning Israel from the competition, AFP said.

Indonesia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, and support for the Palestinian cause in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation runs high, fueling local opposition to hosting the Israeli team.

FIFA's decision to find a new host -- thereby nixing Indonesia's automatic qualifying spot -- puts the country's most popular sport back in the doldrums and facing another bout of isolation.

Some of the archipelago nation's football prodigies took to social media with fury and heartbreak after losing the chance to play at what FIFA bills as the "tournament of tomorrow's superstars".

An Indonesian FA video showed players with heads bowed and their coach in tears after receiving the news late Wednesday that FIFA would seek a new host.

"We, the players, are now affected, not just us but all footballers," said 18-year-old striker Hokky Caraka.

On Thursday morning, flower boards for the players popped up outside the FA headquarters in central Jakarta, including one that read "do not give up on your dream".

Indonesians inundated the Instagram page of Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo -- one of the leading candidates in next year's presidential election -- with negative comments after he opposed Israel's participation.

Bali's governor had also joined the anti-Israel chorus and around a hundred conservative Muslim protesters held an anti-Israel rally in Jakarta this month.

'Very painful'
But there was popular support for the tournament the country was handed in 2019, with many viewing it as a source of national pride.

Jakarta pledged to guarantee Israel's participation despite its pro-Palestinian stance, yet opposing voices became too loud for FIFA.

"This is truly a very painful incident for the Indonesian people. Those who made the noise and made us fail... must be held accountable," said Akmal Marhali, expert at football watchdog Save Our Soccer.

Indonesian officials said losing the tournament could cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars.

FIFA threatened further sanctions and could exclude Indonesia from 2026 World Cup qualifiers that begin in October. It was banned for a year in 2015 over government interference.

But for Indonesia's fervent fans, it was the loss of their first ever major football tournament that hurt the most.

"I am very disappointed because it has been my dream to watch Indonesia hosting a global football event," said 40-year-old supporter Jarnawi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The game in the country has long been dogged by shaky infrastructure and fan violence, and is still reeling from a deadly stadium stampede last year that killed more than 130 people.

But it was the clash of politics and sport that ultimately cost it the tournament many had long hoped for.

"We are talking about youths who want to play soccer. They do not have any more interests," said pundit Justin Lhaksana.

"Why is this issue blindly mixed with political games?"



‘Worse than I Thought’: Hamilton Endures Difficult Ferrari Debut

 Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
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‘Worse than I Thought’: Hamilton Endures Difficult Ferrari Debut

 Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton said Sunday he found his new Ferrari "really, really hard to drive" in the wet as the seven-time world champion endured a difficult start to his career at the Scuderia.

The 40-year-old is hoping for a new lease of life after his bombshell switch from Mercedes, but it has been a steep learning curve since he joined the Italian team in January.

It culminated in a disappointing 10th in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where he was well off the pace of McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes and behind teammate Charles Leclerc in a rain-hit race, punctuated by safety cars.

"It was very tricky and went a lot worse than I thought it would go. The car was really, really hard to drive today," he said after a race that was marred by a series of crashes in the treacherous conditions.

"For me, I'm just grateful I kept it out of the wall because that's where it wanted to go most of the time."

Hamilton was in the Ferrari not only for his first Grand Prix, but also for the first time in wet conditions.

Clearly still getting used to how his new team works, he was heard on the radio at one time telling his race engineer they had "missed a big opportunity" to capitalize strategically after he led briefly during a series of pit stops under the safety car.

A delayed switch back to intermediate rain tires dropped him back down the field, but the Briton said afterwards there had been "a lot" to take from his debut.

"Just getting acclimatized with the new power unit in the wet conditions," he said.

"The settings it requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel.

"I hung out as long as I could, got in the lead at one point. Just the guidance with how much more rain was coming, was missing there, so I think we missed out."