Batik celebration to be featured in LPI opening ceremony

Surakarta Mayor Joko Widodo promised to hold a batik celebration as part of the opening ceremony of the Indonesian Premier League (LPI) in Manahan Stadium on Saturday.

“It’s going to be an entertaining ceremony,” he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Joko said Surakarta was honored to host the opening LPI match between Persema Malang and Solo FC.

He believed that the LPI could improve the competition in the national soccer scene.

LPI’s presence has sparked protests from the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI), saying it is an illegal competitor. The PSSI has even threatened to ban LPI players from representing the national soccer team.