Jakarta. The House of Representatives Commission III has approved a proposal to grant Indonesian citizenship to two footballers, Eliano Johannes Reijnders Lekatompessy and Mees Victor Joseph Hilgers, enabling them to join the Indonesian National Football Team.

The naturalization proposal, submitted by the  Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo, alongside representatives from the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), was approved during a working meeting at the Parliament Complex on Tuesday.

Law and Human Rights Minister Supratman Andi Agtas, who was present at the meeting, confirmed that all documents related to the naturalization request had been reviewed in accordance with the law.

PSSI Pushes for Hilgers and Reijnders' Naturalization Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers

Dito explained that both athletes, known as Eliano Reijnders and Mees Hilgers, are 23 years old and have Indonesian ancestry through their mothers. Eliano’s mother and grandfather were born in Jakarta, while Mees’ grandfather was born in Ambon, Maluku. Both players are defenders.

According to Dito, the decision to pursue the naturalization of these athletes was made with both short-term and long-term athlete development in mind. “These athletes are crucial in the short term, especially in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2024,” Dito said.

Eliano Reijnders is the younger brother of AC Milan and Dutch national team player Tijjani Reijnders, who joined the Italian club from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 and has made 17 appearances for the Dutch national team.

Mees Hilgers had previously turned down an offer to be naturalized as an Indonesian player in late 2023. At that time, he expressed his openness to playing for the Indonesian national team in the future but believed the timing wasn’t right.

Now, he has agreed to become an Indonesian citizen.

The PSSI has committed to fast-tracking the naturalization process so both players can participate in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Group C against Bahrain and China on October 10 and 15, respectively.

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