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The Meanings Behind FIFA's Blue Jerseys for 10 ASEAN Leaders

The Meanings Behind FIFA's Blue Jerseys for 10 ASEAN Leaders
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As the Fédération Internationale de Football Association and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on football collaboration, the 10 leaders received special jerseys from the football body, Phil Star reported.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi signed the deal to promote football in the region. The ten ASEAN leaders witnessed the signing of the MOU at Impact Exhibition and Convention Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand last Saturday. 

While nine leaders in the ten-member Asean received blue jerseys with the number nine or ten, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was wearing a number 21 jersey as they posed for group photos together with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at Bangkok's Impact Exhibition and Convention Center.

President Joko Widodo was given number 21 because Indonesia has been official announced as the host of the 2021 Under-20 World Cup. Image: Biro Kepresidenan
President Joko Widodo was given number 21 because Indonesia has been official announced as the host of the 2021 Under-20 World Cup. Image: Biro Kepresidenan

 

Presidential press bureau head Erlin Suastini said number nine jerseys were given to heads of government and number ten to heads of state.

"President Joko Widodo was given number 21 because Indonesia has been officially announced as the host of the 2021 Under-20 World Cup," she said in a statement, as quoted by Jakarta Globe.

Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated to Tempo, FIFA MOU with ASEAN covered collaboration on areas with a strong focus on "promotion of sport integrity, yang kedua adalah sport for development, FIFA football for school programme, and professional capacity building.”

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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