PSSI limits ticket sales for W. Cup qualifier

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)