Organisers of the ASIAD 2018 (Photo: VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia has hastened preparations for the 18th Asian Games(ASIAD 18) to ensure the success of the sporting event.
Aforum on the progress of the event was held on November 26-28 with theparticipation of representatives of countries and territories that will competein ASIAD 2018. It was held in Jakarta city and Palembang city of South Sumatraprovince, the event’s two venues.
TheGelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, one of the main venues of ASIAD 18, iscurrently undergoing upgrades, with 87 percent of the work completed.
Theathletes’ village in Kemayora, north Jakarta with seven buildings to accommodate5,000 people is being built. The Indonesian government has also accelerated theconstruction of some urban railways to serve the event.
Meanwhile,South Sumatra Governor Alex Noordin affirmed that most infrastructure projectsin Palembang city will be completed by late December. However, the JakabaringConvention Centre, a tennis court with automatic roof and the 22km-long LightRail Transit transportation facility linking the airport with Jakabering Sport Citywill be done in May 2018.
Six10-storey buildings are being constructed in Jakabaring to provideaccommodation for athletes, Noordin added. The city is expected to be thelargest sporting complex in Asia.
TheGames are scheduled to take place in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 toSeptember 2, 2018. About 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories are setto compete.
It will feature 462 categories of 40 sports, with 32Olympic sports and eight non-Olympic, including bowling, diving, ice skating,kabaddi, squash and sepak takaw, along with mechanical sports like jet skiingand paragliding and martial arts such as jujitsu, kurash, pencak silat, samboand wushu.
Indonesiahosted the ASIAD in 1962 and the Southeast Asian Games in 2011.-VNA
