Indonesia Urges Azerbaijan To Include Timnas In ISG

Jakarta, March 31 (Antara) - Indonesia through the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has urged the organizing committee of the Islamic Solidarity Games Azerbaijan (AISGOC) to include the Indonesian national soccer team in the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017. KOI's spokesman, Raja Parlindungan Pane told Antara here on Thursday, Indonesia has met all administration requirements of the football participation (in the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017). "We have completed all the requirements. KOI has included sport of football for ISG since December 2016 and `entry by name` has been done two weeks ago," Raja disclosed. Therefore, KOI is surprised to learn that Indonesia is not listed among the participating countries in the Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG). According to Malaysia's Bernama News Agency, the soccer teams of eight countries eying gold medals in the ISG are Azerbaijan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine and Algeria. Based on the letter issued by AISGOC, the Indonesian squad has been put as a reserve team meaning that it can only play when one of the eight countries resigned. "We do not want that scheme. If AISGOC wish to it can enlist nine countries, and divide them into three groups," Raja explained. KOI has sent a letter to AISGOC on Tuesday (March 28) with regard to this matter. "Hopefully, there will be a decision this week. We insisted that our football team can compete at ISG," he asserted. Earlier, the All Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) also expressed surprise why the national team (tIMNAS) was not listed in the ISG competition because it has already complied with all KOI's requests. The ISG 2107 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the soccer event will be contested from May 8, 2017 and the final is on May 21, 2017.