Racing Against Time To Prepare For 18th Asian Games

JAKARTA, Dec 28 (Antara) - The Indonesian government continues to strive to better prepare facilities for the implementation of the international quadrennial championship, following the launch of the countdown for the 18th Asian Games by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) last August. Jokowi launched the countdown from Jakarta's National Monument (Monas) arena on Friday evening (Aug 18), which, along with Palembang city in South Sumatra, will be the host of the Asian sporting event, scheduled to take place from Aug 18 to Sept 2, 2018. During the countdown launch, which was also attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is concurrently the chief of the steering committee of the 18th Asian Games, Jokowi shot an arrow at an LED light target to mark the launch of the countdown for the 18th Asian Games 2018. The countdown for the Asian Games 2018 is based on digital clocks at Hotel Indonesia's Roundabout and the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Jakabaring, Palembang, which began once Jokowi shot an arrow at an LED light target. With regard to the preparation, the development of all facilities for the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games will be completed under a contract on Dec 31, according to Minister of Public Works and People's Housing Basuki Hadimuljono. First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo and Committee chairman of Asian Games 2018 (INASGOC) Erick Thohir also attended the event, which also included several dancers and singers to entertain the audience. Various artists, especially from Asia, including South Korea (host of 2014 Asian Games) and Indonesia, enlivened the event themed "Energy of Asia" through a performance of colossal dance Ruwat Bumi by Eko Supriyanto, which showcased Indonesia's confidence in hosting the Asian Games 2018, while demonstrating the nation's identity to the world. The Asian Games countdown event was exactly a year to the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. After more than five decades, the Asian Games will finally return to Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta, a metropolitan hosting more than 12 million people during the work week. The first time Indonesia hosted the Asian Games was in 1962. Some 9.5 thousand athletes; 2.5 thousand personnel of the Asian Olympic Council; and 5.5 thousand technical delegates from 45 countries will participate, or be involved, in the event. At least 3.5 thousand media representatives are expected to cover the event. A total of 40 sports, comprising 462 events of 32 Olympic sports and eight non-Olympic sports, will be competed in during the 18th Asian Games. Chief of the organizing committee of the 2018 Asian Games (INASGOC), Erick Thohir, remarked that the 2018 Asian Games will hold 40 sports with 462 events, and the number of sports cannot be changed anymore. Indonesia will broadcast 38 sports events live during the 18th Asian Games. "We will use a total of 427 high-definition cameras to broadcast all sports events live, except bridge and squash," Director of Broadcast of the Asian Games 2018 organizing committee INASGOC, Linda Wahyudi, stated during a press conference here lately. INASGOC has signed a contract with Swiss International Games and Broadcast Services (IGBS) as a partner in broadcasting Asian Games 2018 live. A Japanese broadcasting company, Dentsu, will be the Asian Games 2018 broadcast rights holder, while the Emtek Group has the broadcast rights of Asian Games 2018 for Indonesia. "Asian Games 2018 broadcast will be distributed to all Asian and Latin American countries, except Brazil," Linda revealed. The number of sports events to be broadcasted live was reduced from 55 to 38. The organizer will also broadcast the opening and closing ceremony of Asian Games 2018. Linda revealed that the production cost to broadcast a sporting event in a single arena is about US$350 thousand, with five cameras at the least. The athletic event will be the most expensive 18th Asian Games sport event to be broadcast, as it will require 37 cameras, one helicopter, and around four motorcycles, all of which will cost around $1 million, she pointed out. Owing to the ranking, Indonesia will continue to pursue the top 10 position in the 2018 Asian Games despite a disappointing show at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in August 2017, Kalla stated. "It is true that we want to be among the top 10. In this regard, we have accelerated training and sent important athletes abroad to undergo training," he noted at the Vice Presidential Office recently. Indonesia finished fifth in the medals tally in the SEA Games 2017. Indonesia, the 10-time overall champion at the SEA Games, took home 38 gold, 63 silver, and 90 bronze medals from the 29th edition of the games. It trailed behind host Malaysia, with 145 gold, 92 silver, and 86 bronze medals; Thailand, with 72 gold, 86 silver, and 88 bronze medals; Vietnam, with 58 gold, 50 silver, and 60 bronze medals; and Singapore, with 57 gold, 58 silver, and 73 bronze medals. The vice president noted that the government did not want the Indonesian athletes to repeat their performance in the SEA Games when they compete in the Asian Games. The Indonesian athletes, who will compete in the Asian Games, will also be groomed for the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo, Japan. In addition, Kalla expressed hope that badminton would be able to boost Indonesia's achievements in sports during the 2018 Asian Games. "We will be competing in a colossal event next year, and based on statistics, in the past, our achievements have not been up to the mark, and I believe that badminton can bring it back. Other sports can surely contribute as well, but badminton players have always bagged gold medals in the Olympics," he noted at the National Badminton Athlete Training Complex in Cipayung, East Jakarta. Additionally, on Monday (Dec 18), Vice Chief of the National Police, Commissioner General Syafruddin, has been appointed as chief of the Indonesian contingent to the 2018 Asian Games. "Today, I have been appointed as Chef de Mission of the Indonesian contingent to the Asian Games to lead 40 sports," he said at the Vice Presidential Palace. As Chef de Mission, Syafrudin will be tasked with ensuring the Indonesian contingent's achievements in the Asian Games, organizing trial matches for Indonesian athletes, and preparing them to reach the venues of 40 sports in the pan-Asian multi-sport event. "We will focus on achievements to take home 20 gold medals. To achieve the target of 20 gold medals, we must coordinate with all executive boards of the 40 sports in the Asian Games to ensure the preparedness of the national training camps, the athletes, and all the supporting components, he remarked. Meanwhile, Hadimuljono stated that the construction of all sports arenas for the Asian Games will be completed by December 2017. Indonesia, as host of the 2018 Asian Games, continues to strive to optimize the time available to prepare for the quadrennial championship, including the infrastructure and preparation to improve the quality of athletes.