Indonesian ambassador Rusdi Kirana pays out of his own pocket in order for fans to be able to watch their team take on hosts Malaysia at Shah Alam Stadium tonight.
PETALING JAYA: Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia Rusdi Kirana is paying out of his own pocket for 3,000 fans from his country to watch the Kuala Lumpur 2017 SEA Games football semi-final tonight.
The match to be played at the Shah Alam Stadium, will pit Group A leaders Malaysia against Group B runners-up, Indonesia, with the match kicking off at 8.45pm.
According to Rusdi, aside from tickets he also purchased flags of his country, to distribute to Indonesian fans.
“The tickets were given to the supporters’ association and the Indonesian community association,” Rusdi was quoted as saying by Antara, Indonesia’s national news agency.
He added that he was paying for the tickets and flags in his personal capacity, as the embassy in Kuala Lumpur had no budget for such expenses.
“Personally, and as an ambassador, I feel proud that Indonesia has qualified for the semi-final.
“I expect them to win but more importantly I expect them to compete with sportsmanship and not be provoked.
“The spectators should not get provoked too, and should safeguard the dignity of the nation,” he told Antara.
Interestingly, Rusdi admitted that he originally expected Indonesia to play Malaysia in the final, and made preparations pertaining to security at the match.
“We had a meeting with the people in charge of security because there were indications that Indonesia will meet Malaysia in the final instead.
The winner of the semi-final between Malaysia and Indonesia will meet either Thailand or Myanmar, who will play their semi-final match in Selayang Stadium tonight.
The issue of security and fan behaviour at SEA Games football matches came under the spotlight when two Myanmar football fans were beaten on Monday night.
Police said the Myanmar fans were punched and kicked in the face and body outside the Shah Alam Stadium following the match between Malaysia and Myanmar.
One of the fans was admitted to hospital and another left after treatment, police said, adding that a hunt for the attackers was under way.
The incident came to light as SEA Games organisers condemned Malaysian football fans for chanting “Singapore dogs” during an earlier match. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.