TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Gelora Bung Karno or GBK stadium management center (PKK) will focus on preparing the main stadium for the 2023 U20 FIFA World Cup after the music concert of South Korean girl group Blackpink, which will be held on March 11 and 12, 2023.

"We will finish major events then there will be no more activities afterward to fully prepare for the U20 World Cup," said the stadium's PKK main director Rakhmadi Afif Kusumo at the office of the State Secretariat Ministry, Jakarta on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Rakhmadi said that the preparations will begin at the end of March. The management communicates and sends monthly reports to FIFA regarding detailed matters concerning the stadium. "Every month we file reports to FIFA regarding pitch standards and also evaluation from each existing activity," Rakhmadi added.

The report is mainly about football matches, such as the 2022 AFF Cup semi-final matches and a series of U-20 friendly tournaments on February 17-21. The report also included a series of non-sporting activities at the stadium.

According to Rakhmadi, the world football authorities have never explicitly prohibited the use of the stadium for non-sporting events such as music concerts. “FIFA is aware of non-sporting activities [held in GBK], so FIFA doesn't explicitly prohibit us from using [the stadium for such events],” Rakhmadi said.

Blackpink's Born Pink: World Tour Jakarta concert is scheduled to take place on March 11 and 12. Meanwhile, the 2023 U20 FIFA World Cup is slated to be held in six stadiums from May 20 to June 11, 2023.

In addition to the GBK stadium in Jakarta, the U20 FIFA World Cup will also be held at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, West Java; Manahan Stadium in Solo, Central Java; Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Surabaya, East Java; Gelora Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra; and Captain I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar, Bali.

ANTARA

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