Lawmakers Unanimously Agree to Award 2 Dutch Footballers Indonesian Citizenship

Yustinus Patris Paat, Heru Andriyanto
June 4, 2024 | 2:55 pm
SHARE
Dutch-born footballer Calvin Ronald Verdonk, center, follows a House of Representatives hearing discussing his request to obtain Indonesian citizenship at the parliament building in Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, June 3, 2024. (Antara Photo/Galih Pradipta)
Dutch-born footballer Calvin Ronald Verdonk, center, follows a House of Representatives hearing discussing his request to obtain Indonesian citizenship at the parliament building in Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, June 3, 2024. (Antara Photo/Galih Pradipta)

Jakarta. The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved granting two Duct footballers Calvin Ronald Verdonk and Jens Raven Indonesian citizenship, paving their way to join the national team in the foreseeable future.

Their arrival adds to the number of naturalized players enough to form a full team.

Separate hearings by related House commissions have earlier agreed to award the two Dutchmen Indonesian citizenship, citing their football skill and Indonesian roots.

House Speaker Puan Maharani led Tuesday’s plenary session and threw the particular question to lawmakers.

Advertisement

“Regarding the request to grant Indonesian citizenship to Mr. Calvin Ronald Verdonk and Mr. Jens Raven, do you agree?” Puan asked, and all participating lawmakers immediately replied in chorus: “Agree!”

“Now the procedures for the naturalization citizenship of Mr. Verdonk and Mr. Raven can proceed according to existing regulations,” Puan said, slamming the gavel.

The plenary session was attended in person by 119 lawmakers while 172 others were following remotely, meaning that the quorum is met in the 575-member lower chamber of the parliament.

Verdonk, 27, currently plays for NEC Nijmegen as a defender while Raven, 18, is the forwarder of the U-21 squad of FC Dordrecht.

On Monday, Verdonk attended a House hearing with a team of the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry while Raven also followed via video conference from Paris to discuss their citizenship requests.

“Once we arrived here, we immediately felt like home with so many fans welcoming us,” Raven told the hearing.

After the House approval, they will take oath as Indonesian citizens and follow administrative procedures to obtain Indonesian ID cards and passports.

Indonesia will play Iraq for the World Cup qualifying in Jakarta on Thursday and face off against the Philippines five days later. A win from either match will secure the ticket for the third round.

Indonesia has already recruited 11 naturalized players, mostly from the Netherlands. They include Maarten Paes (goalkeeper), Elkan Baggott, Marc Klok, Jordi Amat, Sandy Walsh, Shayne Pattynama, Ivar Jenner, Rafael Struick, Justin Hubner, Jay Idzes and Nathan Tjoe-A-On.

Tags: Keywords:
SHARE

Related Articles


News May 7, 2025 | 2:08 pm

Ahmad Dhani Ordered to Apologize for Mocking Naturalized Players, Insulting Musician

Dhani, who turns 53 later this month, has been no stranger to controversy since entering politics.
News Mar 20, 2025 | 4:00 pm

President Prabowo prays for the Garuda National Team's success in facing Australia

President Prabowo Subianto prayed for the Indonesian national football team to achieve the best results in their match against Australia.
News Mar 9, 2025 | 11:23 pm

Jordi Cruyff Arrives in Indonesia to Begin Role as National Team Technical Advisor

Indonesia aims to incorporate elements of European football into the team’s playstyle -- particularly the famous Total Football system.
News Mar 9, 2025 | 8:12 pm

Patrick Kluivert Announces Indonesian Squad for Pivotal World Cup Qualifiers

Indonesia remains in contention for its first-ever World Cup appearance in the modern era after a historic 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.
News Jan 7, 2025 | 9:25 pm

Indonesia Explains Preference for Dutch Coach to Lead National Football Team

Zainudin disclosed that PSSI is currently considering three candidates, although he declined to reveal their names.

The Latest


Lifestyle 21 minutes ago

China Adds Indonesia to 10-Day Visa-Free Transit Program

The visa-free transit expansion aims to enhance cooperation with ASEAN while boosting trade, investment, and cultural exchange.
News 1 hours ago

Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner with More Than 240 Aboard Crashes After Takeoff 

Air India flight 171 crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time.
Business 1 hours ago

Sri Mulyani: Government Can Only Fund 40% of $625B Infrastructure Needs

“This gap will require private sector participation, strong partnerships, and innovative financing strategies,” she said.
Business 2 hours ago

Achmad Ardianto Appointed as New President Director of Antam

Achmad brings with him an extensive background in state-owned enterprises and human capital leadership.
News 3 hours ago

Prabowo to Fly to Singapore for Leaders’ Retreat with Wong Next Week

Investments are set to become a major talking point when Prabowo meets Singapore's Lawrence Wong on Monday.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 JAKARTA GLOBE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED