INDONESIAN EYE, JAKARTA – Brazilian football legend Pele mourns the tragedy of Kanjuruhan. He said violence is not compatible with sport.
The Kanjuruhan tragedy became the world’s spotlight. The riots after Arema’s match against Persebaya, Saturday, October 1, 2022, claimed 131 lives and hundreds of others were injured.
The riots started with Arema supporters who entered the field because they were disappointed that their team had lost. The police tried to stop them by firing tear gas. Not only to the field, the police also fired tear gas into the stands, which caused panic.
Eventually, the crowd in the stands rushed to the exit due to the tear gas fire. There was a buildup of spectators, some were trampled, until they ran out of breath. The situation got even more chaotic as the exit door was still locked.
Pele said he was concerned about the tragedy. He said violence is not compatible with sport.
“This weekend, we witnessed one of the greatest disasters in the history of football. There were at least 32 children, among the 125 who died,” he said.
“I pray for peace and love for all Indonesians. Violence is incompatible with sport. No pain of defeat can justify us losing our love for one another. Sport should always be a form of love,” he said.
