Indonesia is hosting its first international soccer tournament as the Under-17 Men's World Cup kicks off on Friday. Much attention is on security, following a fatal stampede at a soccer stadium last year.
Matches are being held in the capital Jakarta, the second largest city Surabaya, and two other cities. Twenty-four teams are competing for slots at the final scheduled for December 2.
In October of last year, fans of the team that lost in a pro league match stormed the pitch in the city of Malang. Police fired tear gas, causing the crowd to panic and rush for the exits. More than 130 people were killed.
The sport's global governing body, FIFA, then helped Indonesia's police and soccer association improve their safety management. The current tournament will see 13,000 police officers deployed to the four venues.
"We made sure everything follows FIFA security standards, including no use of tear gas," said Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, public information head of Indonesian National Police. "The Indonesian people are rightly proud to be chosen to host this event."
The government hopes making this tournament a success will lead to further opportunities, including one day co-hosting the World Cup with other ASEAN countries.