PALEMBANG READY TO HOST ASIAN GAMES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 13 (Antara) - The South Sumatran provincial capital of Palembang, which will co-host the 18th Asian Games together with Jakarta next month, is now ready for the largest Asian sporting event.         In order to ascertain its readiness to host the sporting events, President Joko Widodo, who is commonly known as Jokowi, inspected the sports facilities and venues in the city on Friday.          South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin greeted Jokowi upon his arrival, after which the president proceeded to the Jakabaring Sport Arena. As part of his trip to Palembang, the president is also expected to inaugurate the rowing track for the Asian Games in Jakabaring.          According to Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimoeljono, all venues for the 2018 edition of the games in Jakabaring Sport City have been completed and are now ready to host the sporting events.         "We have conducted a final check today, and all venues are already completed," Hadimoeljono remarked on Friday. "President Joko Widodo is scheduled to inaugurate them on July 14."      Hadimoeljono, who is also the chairman for infrastructure of the 2018 Asian Games organizing committee, revealed that the government has readied 14 sports venues in Jakabaring Sport City.           The PUPR Ministry carried out the construction and renovation of three venues -- the shooting range and the rowing and skateboarding venues -- among the 14 venues within Jakabaring Sport City.        "The total cost to the state budget was around Rp600 to 700 billion," Hadimoeljono noted.           Basuki said President Jokowi is scheduled to inaugurate three venues -- those for rowing, skateboard, and bowling -- on Saturday, July 14. The special bowling facility is the corporate social responsibility project of Sinarmas and Pertamina companies.           The 14 venues include a shooting range, a rowing center, a skateboard field, a beach volleyball court, the Sriwijaya Sports Stadium, the Bumi Sriwijaya Sports Stadium, a tennis stadium, the Lake Side venue, the Jakabaring/Triathlon venues, the aquatic stadium, an athletics venue, a lake sports venue, a climbing sport venue, and a roller blade venue.          "Jokowi is also scheduled to open the 2018 Presidential Dragon Boat Championship to be hosted by the Executive Board of the Indonesian Rowing Sports Association on July 12 to 15," Hadimoeljono stated.          During his observation tour of the South Sumatran Province, the President also reviewed the light-weight train or light rail transit (LRT) project which was constructed to serve the transportation needs of Asian Games athletes and officials as well as locals during the sports events.          The LRT will initially be used as a means of transportation for participants of the Asian Games from August to September.      In addition to assessing the readiness of a number of facilities and sports arenas for the games, the President will also review the labor-intensive program in one of the districts in South Sumatra during his two-day working visit to Palembang.          Meanwhile, House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo has asked the Indonesia 2018 Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) to sell tickets at more affordable prices.              "We hope INASGOC will lobby the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) regarding the prices of tickets for the Asian Games," Soesatyo said in Jakarta on Friday.           The House Speaker made the remarks in response to INASGOC Chairman Erick Thohir's statement that the committee will sell tickets for the opening of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta on August 18.           Ticket prices vary between Rp750 thousand and Rp5 million. Erick said prices for the Asian Games opening ceremony are based on standards set by the OCA.            Soesatyo, who is commonly known as Bamsoet, appealed to INASGOC not to sell tickets for the opening ceremony at very expensive prices.          "Affordable ticket prices will make support for other Asian countries more vibrant and will encourage the community to participate actively in supporting the successful implementation of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia," he said.           Indonesia will host the Asian Games for the second time this year, after Jakarta was selected as the venue for the Asian sporting event for the first time in 1962. By virtue of its hosting of the 2018 games, the country aims to secure a place among the top ten largest sporting events.            The games will be attended by 45 countries, and will feature 462 events in 40 sports, of which 32 are Olympic sports and eight are non-Olympic events.            The Olympic sports are Aquatics, Athletics, Fencing, Weightlifting, Basketball, Handball, Badminton, Baseball/Softball, Cycling, Equestrian, Golf, Wrestling, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Canoeing and Kayaking, Sailing, Shooting, Modern Pentathlon, Archery, Sport Climbing, Rowing, Rugby, Gymnastics, Roller Skate, Football, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Boxing, Triathlon, and Volleyball.             The non-Olympic sports are Bowling, Bridge, Cricket, Kabaddi, Martial Arts (including Jujitsu, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Sambo, and Wushu), Mechanical Sports (such as Paragliding and Jetskiing), Squash, and Sepak Takraw.***4***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE/H-YH (T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 13-07-2018 23:24: