MOSCOW, 31 Mar – In the Indonesian city of Padang, unidentified people set fire to several buildings of sports complexes and sports committees against the backdrop of depriving the country of the right to host the FIFA U-20 World Championship, one person died, local news agency ANTARA reports.

Earlier it was reported that the International Football Federation (FIFA) deprived Indonesia of the right to host the 2023 Youth World Cup after Bali Governor Wayan Koster called for Israel to be excluded from the competition.

Sutan Hendra, head of the Padang city fire department, said the deceased was 16 years old and the circumstances of his death are being investigated. According to Hendra, a total of five buildings were burned down. Firefighters have now managed to stop the fire.

According to the agency, football fans across Indonesia are openly opposed to the policies of FIFA and local authorities, which led to the cancellation of an important event for the country. Now Indonesia is waiting for sanctions from FIFA, there are fears that this will affect the future of all football in the country.

The FIFA U-20 World Under-20 Championship was scheduled to take place on the Indonesian island of Bali in May-June 2023.