Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Groundbreaking of Football National Training Center, in Nusantara Capital (IKN), September 22, 2023

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May prosperity be upon us all.

Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, joining us here are Minister of Finance, Minister of SOEs, Minister of State Secretary, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, and Minister of Investment,

Distinguished Chairperson of IKN Authority along with Vice Chairperson and all members, Governor of East Kalimantan, and Regent of Penajam Paser Utara,

Distinguished Chairperson of Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and all attending executive committees,

Distinguished FIFA’s Regional Director for Asia-Oceania, His Excellency Mr. Sanjeevan

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

We are aware that this country has already built many international standard stadiums in many cities in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and even Papua. We already have that. But, we don’t have a centralized, integrated training ground, so the national team keeps changing places to train. Therefore, Alhamdulillah it is with great gratitude that we can organize the groundbreaking of the National Training Center for Indonesian football this morning.

The training center will be constructed on 34.5 hectares of land, equipped with eight football pitches and other supporting facilities. The center will also be integrated with the construction of our Nusantara Capital. It will also be equipped with dormitories. The environment, as we could see from the images, is very beautiful and exquisite, so we hope that the players will feel at home when they undergo their training here. It is also far from city crowds, unlike Jakarta. In Jakarta, the players train during the morning, but they never do in the evening. Here, they keep training in the evening. This place is used not only for training center, but also for development innovation center of Indonesian football, as well as facilitating research and testing of latest technology in football.

On this auspicious occasion, I would like to thank FIFA for their trust and support in funding the biggest FIFA Forward in Southeast Asia, with the amount of Rp85.6 billion to PSSI, as previously mentioned. Also, we need to mention this to show our support to PSSI, that the funding from the government is quite significant, which is Rp95 billion, and it is already approved by Minister of Finance. We will increase it when necessary. So, the Football Training Center can be completed soon.

I believe that with the National Training Center—if it has good management, adequate facilities and infrastructure, as well as the massive love of the people for football—will bring our national team, our Garuda team, to the top at Southeast Asia and global levels.

That concludes my remarks. And, by saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby officially inaugurate the groundbreaking of the National Training Center.

I thank you.

Wasssalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(AY/LW)