President Jokowi: Indonesia Ready to Host 2018 Asian Games

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 14 Juli 2018
Category: News
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President Jokowi inaugurates five venues at Jakabaring Sport City, Palembang, South Sumatra, Saturday (14/7. (Photo by: Dindha/Public Relations Division)

President Jokowi inaugurates five venues at Jakabaring Sport City, Palembang, South Sumatra, Saturday (14/7. (Photo by: Dindha/Public Relations Division)

Concluding his visits in Palembang, South Sumatra, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated five sports venues at the Jakabaring Sport City, on Saturday (14/7). The President confirmed that the venues to be used for the 18th Asian Games from 18 August to 2 September 2018 are now complete.

The President came to the Jakabaring Rowing & Canoeing Regatta Course by boarding a dragon boat.

Moreover, the President and his entourage rowed their own boats, while Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono was seen sitting on the front of the boat hitting the drums.

Accompanied by Minister of PUPR Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi, and South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin, the President signed the inscription marking the inauguration of the Rowing & Canoeing Regatta Course, shooting range, bowling arena, beach volleyball court, and skateboarding arena.

“Indonesia is ready to welcome the implementation of 2018 Asian Games,” the President said adding that as many as 16,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries are expected to join the event.

On the occasion, the President also inaugurated the opening of the President’s Cup dragon boat race to be held on 14-15 July 2018.

The race is the first race to be held at the Jakabaring Rowing & Canoeing Regatta Course and a test event ahead of the 2018 Asian Games.

As many as 22 male teams and nine female teams from 18 provinces, and four teams from the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) are vying for four gold medals in 500 meters and 200 meters of men and women, and prizes from the Executive Board of the Indonesian Rowing Association (PB-PODSI) and Provincial Government of South Sumatra with a total of Rp1 billion.

For the record, the Jakabaring Rowing & Canoeing Regatta Course is an artificial lake located in the Jakabaring Sport City (JSC) area with a length of 2,000 meters and a width of 200 meters. In the middle of it lies a widened track to form a roundabout about 300 meters in diameter.

On the southern side of the lake built a stadium with a seating capacity of  2,000, making it the largest and most comprehensive rowing stadium in Southeast Asia. (GUN/ES) (MUR/YM/Naster).

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