The 35th anniversary of the Western Australia-East Java sister-state relationship was recently celebrated by welcoming Indonesian football powerhouse Persebaya Surabaya FC to Perth for a game against the WA Men’s State team.

Persebaya came away with a 2-nil win, but the true victory was in the celebration of deepening ties between our regions – strengthened through sport, trade, culture, and people-to-people connections.

From 6–11 July 2025, Football West hosted 42 Persebaya players and officials for a training camp and game in Perth – the first major activation under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Football West and Persebaya in late 2024. The MoU paves the way for ongoing knowledge sharing and reciprocal exchange.

Premier Roger Cook welcomed WA Government representatives, Persebaya supporters from across Indonesia and Australia, and the WA football community at the match – which also reached millions of viewers in Indonesia.

The match reflected strong collaboration between Invest and Trade WA, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, Tourism WA, and Football West, and highlighted WA’s appeal as a destination for investment, tourism, and elite sport.

Ahead of kick-off, Invest and Trade WA hosted the East Java Connect Business Breakfast, spotlighting the unique role of sport in connecting WA with one of its closest regional partners.

Western Australia and East Java have shared a sister-state relationship since 1990. The agreement was renewed in Surabaya in September 2023 during the Indonesia Connect Roadshow and reaffirmed by the Premier’s first post-election overseas trade mission to East Java in May 2025.

Sport has long played a role in this partnership, with past cooperation in football, basketball and athletics taking place since 2008.

Western Australia’s strategic partnerships, such as the WA-East Java sister-state agreement, play a vital role in strengthening WA’s engagement with Asia, which align with the Government’s Asian Engagement Strategy to 2030 - Our Future with Asia.

Published on: 15 July 2025