Indonesia's rival football bodies declare truce
Indonesia's rival football associations agreed to find a way to merge after two years of dispute.
JAKARTA (AP): Indonesia s rival football associations agreed to resolve their nearly two-year-old dispute and find a way to merge, in an attempt to stave off suspension by world governing body FIFA.
The deal was signed by Djohar Arifin Husin of the FIFA-sanctioned All-Indonesia Football Association, or PSSI, and La Nyalla Mataliti of the breakaway Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee after a meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Roy Suryo.
Under the truce, the groups will hold a meeting on March 17, three days before a deadline set by the world governing body FIFA, the minister said.
"Hopefully, everything will goes well and the KPSI will merge into PSSI," Suryo said.
However, Halim Mahfudz, secretary general of PSSI, on Tuesday questioned the initiative, arguing that FIFA has left the settlement of the dispute to the Asian Football Confederation.
"The step was different at all with what the AFC told to us," Mahfudz said, adding that he would leave later in the day for Kuala Lumpur to consult Asia s ruling body. "I have to consult first with AFC regarding the letter from FIFA to the sports minister."
The rift between the football bodies began after the removal of Nurdin Halid as PSSI chairman in April 2011. A congress afterward ended in deadlock.
Arifin was elected in an extraordinary congress in July 2011, but some members objected and formed the KPSI.
