INASGOC To Invite Countries For Trials Ahead Of Asian Games

JAKARTA, July 20 (Antara) - Indonesia Asian Games 2018 Organizing Committee (INASGOC) will invite seven countries to perform trials on three sports, such as basketball, volleyball, and football, ahead of Asian Games XVIII to be held from Aug 18 to Sept 2 in 2018. "Differing from our previous plan, we decided to only invite seven countries instead of nine," the INASGOC chairman Eric Thohir said, following the coordination meeting with the Head of Asian Games 2018 Steering Committee and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, in Jakarta. The committee has set the trial date from Feb 10 to 24, 2018. "However, we still wait for the countries selected to perform trials," Erick remarked in the INASGOC Secretariat in Jakarta on Tuesday. In football, the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) had planned to use the Patriot Stadium and Wibawa Mukti Stadium for the forthcoming trials. "Differing from other venues, the two stadiums need no renovations, so that the trials would be held more effectively," Erick noted, adding that other 43 sports that intended to perform trials have to arrange their administrative papers. "Our administration system now remains in the procurement stage. However, we should complete some papers in order to accommodating the trials," Erick reiterated. Apart from Erick, some high-ranking officials, including the Human Development and Culture Coordinating Minister Puan Maharani, Public Work and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljo, Sports and Youth Minister Imam Nahrawi, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, and South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin, also attended a meeting with Kalla. The cities of Jakarta and Palembang will host the XVIII Asian Games, a regional multi-sport event in Asia. However, some nearby cities in Banten and West Java provinces planned to support some venues for the event. Originally, the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board assigned Hanoi city, Vietnam, to host the event. However, due to financial reasons, the country withdrew from being the host, and the board later appointed two cities in Indonesia to hold the multi-sport event in 2018.