- 135 people were killed and at least 500 more were injured in a stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, Indonesia on Oct 1, 2022, which was prompted by the firing of tear gas by security officials
- Three police officers and two match officials have been found guilty for their roles in the incident. Each was sentenced to between one to two-and-a-half years in prison
There was a time in a not-so-distant past when for a few hours every weekend, the city of Malang in Indonesia would appear deserted.
Virtually everyone in the hilly city of 800,000 people was either at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the outskirts of Malang or glued to the television sets at home or at cafes and roadside food stalls, rooting for their once beloved football club, Arema FC.
The mood of the city would change depending on the outcome of each match.
Whenever the club won, supporters in Arema jerseys and other attributes would parade the city in their motorcycles and cars to celebrate their victories. Conversely, the mood of the city would turn gloomy and sombre whenever the club lost.
That all changed on Oct 1, 2022, when 135 people were killed in a stampede at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, making it the second deadliest football tragedy in the world.
“I haven’t watched a single (Arema) match since (the tragedy),” plantation owner Devi Athok Yulfitri told CNA, adding that many of his peers have also stopped seeing matches in person or on the small screen.
“It’s just too painful. Whenever we see Arema play, all we can think about are all the loved ones and friends we lost that night.”
IRONIC TWIST OF FATE
Mr Yulfitri used to be an Aremania, a nickname for die-hard Arema fans. Before the tragedy, he would attend almost every home and away match the club played.
So much was his love for the club, he would occasionally get into brawls with rival supporters, without caring if he ended up getting injured, arrested or killed.
“The only reasons I stopped (participating in brawls) were my two daughters,” the 44-year-old said. “Whenever they saw me trying to get into a fight, they would say ‘Daddy don’t, let’s just go home’.”