Soccer great Zinedine Zidane to star in Jakarta parade

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta's normally clogged thoroughfares will take on a decidedly sporting flair Sunday morning, as thousands of soccer players, led by French legend Zinedine Zidane, parade through the streets.

The motorcade will travel a 6.8-kilometer route from Jl. MH Thamrin through Jl. Jend. Sudirman in Central Jakarta's business district.

"About 2,000 soccer players will take part in the parade ...," Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) secretary-general Nugraha Besoes said Thursday.

He said the parade will begin at 6:30 a.m.

Before the parade, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso will welcome Zidane at City Hall.

The governor will then open the parade at the Bank Indonesia fountain on Jl. MH Thamrin. The event will end at the Youth Monument traffic circle on Jl. Jend. Sudirman.

"The event will peak with Zidane playing soccer in the vicinity of Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, along with young PSSI players and top Indonesian officials," Nugraha said.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault is expected to take part.

Zidane, who will arrive in Jakarta on Friday around 9 a.m., is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace that same day.

"We have received confirmation from the palace that the President will meet Zidane," Nugraha said.

Zidane will be accompanied by 16 members of Indonesia's under-13 team, who competed at the U-13 Soccer Festival in Sabah, Malaysia, last month.

A gala dinner for Zidane will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Mega Kuningan business district in South Jakarta on Friday.

Zidane, who celebrated his 35th birthday on June 23, led France to triumphs at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

However, his legendary image was somewhat tarnished by a head-butting incident involving Italy's Marco Materazzi during the final of the 2006 World Cup.

The former Real Madrid midfielder is in Indonesia in his role as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program.

Zidane, who also played for Juventus, will also hold a coaching clinic for elementary school students as Groupe Danone's ambassador for children's programs.

Organizers said earlier that Zidane, who will be accompanied by Groupe Danone chairman and CEO Franck Riboud, will also attend the opening of a new Danone Dairy plant in Bandung.