Hendro Situmorang, Jakarta – Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has said that he will consider resigning if he becomes deputy chairman of the Indonesian Football Association or PSSI, but on Friday he insisted that he left that matter to the president after he did get the position.

During a PSSI congress a day earlier, Zainudin was elected deputy chairman to assist new chairman Erick Thohir, who is also the state-owned enterprise minister.

"I did say that the consequence of it is for me to resign and I'm still ready to do just that. But if the president asks me not to, what can I say?" Zainudin told Jakarta Globe's sister publication Beritasatu.com at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

"As a minister, I'm an aide of the president so I don't have the final say. It's up to President Joko Widodo," he added.

During an exclusive interview with news broadcaster BTV last month, Zainudin said he will accept calls to resign if he becomes a PSSI executive so that he can focus on managing Indonesian football.

He said it would be unfair if he retains the ministerial job with the responsibility of overseeing all sports disciplines while leading the football association.

"That would be unfair if I have to deal with a particular sport while there are other sports disciplines that need my attention. I have to focus and do my job to the details," he said at that time.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/sports-minister-backs-down-on-resignation-remark