PARAGLIDING SETS SIGHTS ON OLYMPICS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 31 (Antara) - Emerging as the overall champion at the paragliding event of the 18th Asian Games 2018, Indonesia is upbeat about the inclusion of paragliding in the 32nd Olympic Games in Japan, Tokyo, in 2020.              At the current Asian Games, a total of 18 gold, silver and bronze medals were up for grabs and host country Indonesia emerged as the overall champion after clinching two gold, one silver and three bronze medals.             The success of Indonesia---winning six medals in the paragliding event of the Asian Games 2018---paves the way for the national team to move into the Olympic Games.             "We have a target to include paragliding in the Olympic Games. That is a long-term target. Our short-term target is that paragliding should be included the South East Asian Games (SEA Games). Thus, we can also achieve the same success (as in the Asian Games)," said Wahyu Yudha, the Indonesian paragliding chairman, after the Asian Games paragliding match at Gunung Mas arena, Puncak, Bogor District, West Java, Wednesday, August 29.

THE CHAMPS BEHIND HOST'S OVERALL CHAMPION IN PENCAK SILAT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 31 (Antara) - Indonesia has emerged as the overall champion of the Pencak Silat branch at the 18th Asian Games 2018 held in the country's cities of Jakarta and Palembang from Aug 18 to Sept 2.      The country's martial arts champs, who brought fame to the host country Indonesia in Pancak Silat at the 18th Asian Games 2018 are Puspa Arumsari in the women's single; Yola Primadona Jampil and Hendy in the men's double; Nunu Nugraha, Asep Yuldan Sani, and Anggi Faisal Mubarok in the men's artistic group; Aji Bangkit Pamungkas in the men's class 85 kilograms-90 kilograms; Komang Harik Adi Putra in men's class E of 65-70 kilograms; Iqbal Candra Pratama in the men's D category of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms; Sarah Tria Monita in the women's C category of 55 kilograms-60 kilograms; and Abdul Malik in the Men's B category of 50 kilograms-55 kilograms.          The other Pencak Silat champs are Sugianto in the men's single art event; Ayu Sidan Wilantari and Ni Made Dwiyanti in the women's double art category; Pramudya Yuristya/Lutfi Nurhasanah/Gina Tri Lestari in the women's group; Pipiet Kamelia in the women's D class of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms; Hanifan Yudani Kusumah in the martial arts event; and Wewey Wita in the women's B class of 50kg-55kg.

INDONESIA DEMONSTRATES SUPERIORITY IN PENCAK SILAT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 30 (Antara) - Martial arts Pencak Silat is not only a self-defense system but also a part of the cultural wealth of Indonesia that is always performed as an enchanting exhibition at several traditional ceremonies.          The Pencak Silat arts defense system is also well-known in various other Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand.          In Indonesia, the term "Pencak" is widely used in Java, while "Silat" is used in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Kalimantan.          However, in its development later, the term "Pencak" put forward the elements of art and beauty of movements, while "Silat" was the core of the teachings of martial arts in a fight.          With the 18th Asian Games 2018 held in Indonesia, the host country succeeded in including Pencak Silat to be competed in at the biggest Asian sporting event while at the same time showcasing its superiority in this newly contested sports category.          Of the 16 events and classes contested in Pencak Silat, Indonesia succeeded in winning 14 gold medals. Pencak Silat debuts at the Asian Games 2018 being held from Aug 18 to Sept 2, with 16 gold medals from 10 defense and six motion-art events at stake.

INDONESIA EXCEEDS ITS MEDAL TARGET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 27 (Antara) - Host Indonesia made a great success on the ninth day of the 18th Asian Games 2018 on Monday by adding 10 more gold medals to its gold medal standings to 22, exceeding its target of 16 for the ongoing biggest Asian sporting events.

Indonesia managed to grab the 10 gold medals consisting of eight from the Pencak Silat events and two from Sports Climbing.

On Monday evening, in the climbing sports, Indonesia won two gold medals. Its athlete Aries Rahayu Susanti has earlier clinched the first gold in the sports climbing in the women's speed event.

Monday's climber heroes are Indonesian Team 2 (Muhammad Hinayah, Rindi Sufriyanto, and Abu Dzar Yulianto) that took home the gold in the Men's Group Speed Rally category with a time of 18.68 seconds and Indonesian Team 1 (Aries Susanti Rahayu, Rajiah Salsabilah and Puji Lestari) with a time of 24.45 seconds.

INDONESIA UPBEAT ON ACHIEVING ASIAN GAMES TARGET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 26 (Antara) -  Hosting the ongoing Asian Games 2018 in its  capital city of Jakarta and South Sumatran provincial capital of Palembang, Indonesia is optimistic it would achieve the target it has set in the Asian sporting events.         As the host of the Asian Games which will last from Aug 18 to Sept 2, Indonesia has set a target to grab at least 16 gold medals in the multi-sport events and to be included among the victorious Top Ten nations.          Until Sunday evening (Aug 26), a week after the opening of the Asian Games, Indonesia has secured 12 gold medals and is ranked fifth in the provisional medals tally. This means that Indonesia has exceeded half of its target both in terms of medal gains and ranking.         So far,  Indonesia had won 12 gold medals, two from paragliding, one from rowing, one from speed climbing, one from weightlifting, two from cycling, one from wushu, one from taekwondo, one from tennis, one from karate and one from jet ski.

ZOHRI EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE GOLD FROM ATHLETICS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 26 (Antara) - Indonesia failed to grab any medals on Saturday in four branches of athletics which began to be contested for six days in the on-going 18th Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia.           On Saturday (Aug 25), athletes competed to win four gold medals of the athletics in the events of  men's marathon, women's hammer throw, women's 10,000 meters run and shot put event but none of the gold, silver and bronze medals went to Indonesia.           Therefore, it is expected that Indonesia would clinch a medal, hopefully gold, this evening, from Indonesia's world 100-m sprinter champion Lalu Muhammad Zohri who will be fielded in two events of 100-m and 4x100 meter run.           Indonesian sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri won a gold medal in the 100-meter men's sprint in the U-20 World Athletic Championship in Finland on July 11, 2018.   According to a press release from the national athletics association PB PASI,  Zohri finished the race in 10.18 seconds.           Zohri, whose hometown is Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province, beat two athletes from the United States -- Anthony Schwartz and Eric Harrison -- who finished in second and third place respectively at 10.22 seconds.

INDONESIA CAN STILL WIN MEDALS IN PARAGLIDING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 25 (Antara) - Indonesia, which has pocketed two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the Paragliding sports of the 18th Asian Games 2018, still has a chance to increase its medal standing in this event.          There are two more gold, two silver, and two bronze medals at stake, especially in the Cross-Country/XC category. If Indonesian paragliders are able to clinch yet another gold in this category, then they would be able to exceed their target to grab two gold medals.          Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi has set a target to win two gold medals from the paragliding events. So, if they win another gold from the remaining two gold medals up for grab, it would be an exceptional achievement.           The Indonesian team is determined to take the third position in the XC events. "We will do our best to make achievement in the XC event. We are optimistic to achieve at least the third position in Big Three," Indonesia's Paragliding National Team Coach, Gendon Subandono, noted at the Gunung Mas Paragliding venue, Puncak, Bogor District, West Java, on Saturday.            Paragliding has started to be contested in the XC category as the last paragliding event contested in the 18th Asian Games. Cross-Country has two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals at stake, each in the men's and women's team classes

ASIAN GAMES 2018 FOSTER KOREAN UNITY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 21 (Antara) - The 18th Asian Games 2018, being organized by Indonesia in Jakarta and the South Sumatran provincial capital of Palembang from August 18 to September 2, serve not just to show superiority in sports, but to also forge Asian unity.         President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said at the opening of the biggest Asian sporting event that all the nations in Asia sought to show kinship between their countries. "We are united to achieve success," he remarked.         Divided so far, South Korea and North Korea, which have pledged to unify families for economic benefits and peace, supported each other in the current Asian Games, and in some events, even united as one team.         "We made history today because South and North Korea have united as one team to compete in the Asian Games 2018," Chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah said in his speech at the 18th Asian Games opening ceremony at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Saturday, August 18.         High officials of the two Koreas also harmoniously stood together to support their joint team in the matches.

ASIAN GAMES 2018 TO BE OFFICIALLY OPENED ON AUG 18

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 17 (Antara) - Indonesia, which is hosting the 18th Asian Games 2018, will officially open the biggest Asian sporting event at the Bung Karno Main Sport Stadium in Jakarta on Saturday evening.              The past couple of days have seen a variety of sports competitions across soccer, basketball, water polo, paragliding and handball, ahead of the official opening.              To be attended by 45 countries from August 18 to September 2, the 18th Asian Games 2018 will feature 462 events across 40 sports, of which 32 are Olympic sports and eight are non-Olympic sports. The organizers hope the sports events will attract some five billion spectators from across the world.               "We are targeting five billion pairs of eyes from around the world that will watch the Asian Games," Danny Buldansyah, media and PR director of INASGOC (Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee), noted at a Media Personnel Technical Coordination meeting in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, on Friday (August 3)     This year will be the second time that Indonesia is hosting the Asian Games. It hosted the Asian sporting event for the first time in 1962, the fourth one after the Asian Games were first held in New Delhi, India, in 1951.

TRANSJAKARTA OFFERS FREE SERVICES DURING ASIAN GAMES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 14 (Antara) - The Jakarta regional government-owned transportation firm PT Transjakarta will maximize its bus services by increasing the number of its buses to 1,750 units and providing free tickets for athletes and the public during the 18th Asian Games 2018.          "During the Asian Games, we provide free Transjakarta bus services for athletes and officials who want to travel for sightseeing and shopping in the city of Jakarta," President Director of PT Transjakarta, Budi Kaliwono said in Jakarta on Monday (Aug 13).          The free service is offered based on the directions of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to provide free services to the public in order to encourage them to use public transportation.          "Of course, with free services, the public will be encouraged to use Transjakarta buses to watch matches during the 2018 Asian Games," Public Relations Officer of PT Transjakarta, Wibowo, stated.          Previously, Baswedan noted that people who want to watch the 2018 Asian Games could enjoy free Transjakarta bus services on certain days from Aug 17 to Sept 2, 2018.

LOMBOK QUAKE EXPECTED TO NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 9 (Antara) - Amid the government's efforts to promote its tourism to attract 17 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, a strong earthquake of 7 magnitude struck North Lombok of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on Sunday (Aug 5).          The earthquake, which struck NTB, a neighbor of Indonesia's most popular tourist island of Bali, has until Wednesday (Aug 8) taken the lives of 131 victims.          Hence, the government hopes that the natural disaster would not affect the country's tourism. In response to it, Tourism Crisis Management Head of the Ministry of Tourism Dessy Ruhati said on Monday that her side has held coordination with the regional government of NTB.          The Ministry of Tourism assured that the tourism of Lombok and Bali islands remain conducive post the powerful earthquake, Ruhati stated.      "We encourage tourists to remain calm and alert and follow the guidance provided by the government. Information will continuously be upgraded and its sources should always come from official agencies, such as the Meteorology, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency)," she noted.