Indonesian U-16 Calls for End to Football-related Violence

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian U-16 football national team expressed their condolences following the tragic death of Haringga Sirla, a Persija Jakarta football team supporter, otherwise known as “Jakmania”, who was killed by a mob allegedly consisting of Persib Bandung supporters. 

A video was uploaded by the team’s coach Fakhri Husaini on Instagram, which saw the entire team expressing their sympathy and calling for an end to Indonesia’s football-related violence. 

“We, members of the U-16 National Football team, express our condolences for the death of a Persija supporter during a Persib-Persija match on September 23,” said the U-16 team captain David Maulana in the video. 

Read: Football Fan Killed, PSSI Urged to Improve Referees` Performance

The video ended with the entire team calling for an end to the violence, “Stop the violence in football!”

Jakmania member Haringga Sirla died at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium (GBLA) in Bandung, West Java, on Sunday, after he was tragically beaten and assaulted with sharp weapons by a mob that was strongly suspected to be supporters of Persib Bandung. 

Read: Persib Fan Dies after Being Assaulted during Football Match

According to Bandung police, the incident happened at 13:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) just moments before the match between Persib and Persija kicked-off. The police immediately arrested at least six people allegedly involved in the attack and questioned one key witness.

ANTARA