Indonesia Ready for Asian Games Challenge

(ATR) One of the leaders of the Indonesian 2018 bid tells Around the Rings that the country will be able to complete preparations despite the accelerated timeline.

After Hanoi, Vietnam gave up hosting the 2019 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia scrambled to find a replacement, with Jakarta, Indonesia taking hosting duties. The Indonesia capital was the only candidate.

The country requested to move the Games ahead one year to accommodate for the country’s presidential election in 2019, giving the archipelago only four years to prepare.

Jakarta and Palembang signed the host city contract with OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah on Saturday at the OCA General Assembly.

"[OCA] inspected all the venues [in Jakarta and Palembang], so what we have to do is prepare the infrastructure have to be much better than what exists right now," Ahmed Solihin, head of the finance and budgeting commission at the Indonesian Olympic Committee, told Around the Rings in an interview after signing the host city agreement Saturday.

Many venues such as the swimming center will have to be upgraded to reach international standards, but Indonesian officials insisted no new venues will have to be constructed from scratch for the Games.

Temporary venues for the Games will come from Jakarta’s main convention center, that according to Solihin will be divided into four or five sections to host sports instead of erecting temporary venues.

The sport program for the Games will remain at 36 sports according to Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

"I think 36 sports is a really good number," Sheikh Ahmad told reporters in a press conference on Sunday.

"We have to respect the Asian sport federations. We are keeping space and value for the main sport in our continent which is very famous in the region."

The full Olympic program of 28 sports, including 6 regional Asian sports, and two Indonesian sports will comprise the 2018 sport program.

Solihin confirmed that Jakarta will request that OCA add Pencak Silat to the program for the 2018 Asian Games.

"We will select the original sport from our country Pencak Silat. It is the martial arts made in Indonesia."

The budget of the Games will be set after the organizing committee returns home and can discuss with the central and local governments of Jakarta and Sumatra.

"The good news is that all of the sport facilities has already been built," Sheikh Ahmad said in regards to cost.

"They have already hosted events like the Southeast Asian Games and other big sporting events. The city has shown after our OCA Commission inspections it is ready to host the Asian Games."

Many of the infrastructure upgrades that will be required for the Games are already under way in Jakarta, and will receive more funding and a faster timeline for completion because of the Games.

"Instead of five years [the projects]will be finished in three years," Solihin said.

"This is the benefit of the local government to get approval from the parliament to shorten the projects. It will give the people of Jakarta of Palembang the benefit of the existing Asian Games in Indonesia."

Written and reported in Incheon by Aaron Bauer

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