PSSI limits ticket sales for W. Cup qualifier

JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) will only sell 28,000 tickets ranging in price from Rp 8,000 (80 US cents) to Rp 25,000 for Indonesia's home match against Maldives in the 2002 World Cup prequalifying round on Sunday at Bung Karno stadium here.

"We have to limit the number of tickets because the economic situation in this country is not very good now. The stadium itself can accommodate up to 110,000 spectators," said PSSI spokesman Eddi Elison on Wednesday.

Eddi also said the number of security personnel inside the stadium would be limited. In many matches in the country, there are so many security personnel posted inside stadiums that they often spill over onto the sidelines of the field, giving the impression that soccer matches in Indonesia are often marred by violence.

"PSSI had asked the Central Jakarta Police to limit the number of its officers inside the stadium and to ban them from standing in front of the two main gates to watch the match," he said.

He also said PSSI had asked police to take steps to keep spectators from setting off fireworks during the game, adding that the police would present on Friday the security measures they planned for the World Cup prequalifying match.

"We do not know how the police will deal with security. There was a suggestion that police search everyone entering the stadium, but we will wait for their presentation on Friday."

Eddie said PSSI had asked the Gelora Bung Karno Management Board (BPGBK) to ensure there were no food and drink vendors on the road outside the stadium prior to the game.

"Based on past experiences, spectators buy mineral water from the vendors on the road and then throw the bottles onto the field during the game. So we have asked BPGBK to empty the cafeteria on the second level of the stadium, and hopefully this will keep the road outside the stadium clear of vendors as well."

Indonesia is in the same World Cup prequalifying group as Cambodia, China and the Maldives. Indonesia will host Cambodia on April 22 and China on May 27. In away matches, the national team will challenge Cambodia on April 29, Maldives on May 6 and China on May 13.

PSSI said earlier it had not set any targets for the national squad in the prequalifying round. It just wants the team to do the best it can, which it said was all that could be expected from a squad made up mostly of young players.

In a related development, Eddie announced that the coach of China's national squad, Tomic Milutinovic, would be in Jakarta from Friday to Monday and would attend the game on Sunday. (ivy)