Jakarta: Indonesia kicked off a new interim football league on Friday after going almost a year without a national competition due to a feud between the sports ministry and the country's soccer association.
Opening the first match on behalf of President Joko Widodo in in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, Military Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said he hoped the new league would help establish a solid national team.
"This is a professional soccer competition which will last for eight months from April till December and focuses on achievement, pride and welfare for the nation's soccer," said Nurmantyo.
The Torabika Soccer Championship -- named after its main sponsor -- sees 18 teams take part, including top clubs Arema and Persib Bandung.
Persipura Jayapura and Persija Jakarta were set to play the opening match on Friday night.
Head of the new league Joko Driyono told AFP that the competition would not replace Indonesia's regular top-grade tournament, but act as a temporary substitute until the current crises had been resolved.
A row between the football association and the sports ministry began over which teams could participate in the top division.
The dispute led to the domestic league being halted, with FIFA criticising Jakarta for an effective "takeover" of football in the country and slapping Indonesia with a ban from international football.
Earlier this week, Indonesian officials met with FIFA President Gianni Infantion in Zurich in an attempt to draw a line under the dispute.
Football in Indonesia has been dogged by problems for years, from the creation of a breakaway association that tore the football establishment apart to cases of foreign players dying after going unpaid and being unable to afford medical treatment.
Despite this and the ongoing crisis, Indonesia earlier this month expressed interest in hosting the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
AFP
