(ATR) Indonesia is officially in the running to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The country’s ambassador to Switzerland submitted the formal bid letter from President Joko Widodo to IOC President Thomas Bach in Lausanne last week, according to the Indonesian news agency Antara.
Widodo had told Bach in a meeting on Sept. 1 in Jakarta that Indonesia was ready for the Olympics. Jakarta and Palembang hosted the 18th Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.
"After the excellent experience of the Asian Games we now believe that we can host the very biggest sporting event," Widodo said then.
Bach agreed with Widodo, saying at the time "with the great success of the Asian Games, Indonesia has demonstrated it has all the ingredients to organize Olympic Games in a very successful way".
It isn’t clear what city would bid, although it stands to reason Jakarta, the capital and main host of the 2018 Asian Games would be the odds-on choice.
Indonesia joins India as a country that has officially given notice to the IOC that it is planning to bid for the 2032 Games.
Representatives from North and South Korea met with Bach in Lausanne on Friday, presenting plans to begin considering a joint bid. Australia, Russia and Germany have also publicly stated interest in 2032.
At his closing press conference at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October, Bach backed a bid by Argentina, saying "after this outstanding success of this YOG I could not see anybody in the IOC having any doubt about the capability of Argentina and Buenos Aires to organize an excellent Olympic Games."
Bach also admitted that it would be up to the people of Argentina to decide whether to bid, a sentiment that was echoed by Buenos Aires 2018 President and IOC member Gerardo Werthein.
"We have to start thinking if Argentinians want this, if there is consensus, and if we have the economic resources," Werthein said.
Buenos Aires last bid for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
A decision on the 2032 Games host is not expected to be made until 2025.
Written by Gerard Farek
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