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ndonesia is taking part in the 17th Asian Games '€” now underway in Incheon, South Korea '€” with the dual goals of winning eight gold medals, as well as securing the right to host the next edition of Asia'€™s quadrennial multi-sport event for a second time since 1962.

Competing in 23 of 36 sports, Indonesia has targeted eight gold medals in seven sports, one in rowing, cycling, bowling, equestrian, wushu and soft tennis, and two in badminton.

The 10-day badminton competition, which begins on Saturday and has a total of seven gold medals up for grabs, will be fought out between Southeast Asian nations Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and East Asian nations comprising Japan, South Korea and China, with India from the South Asian region the only other contender likely to present a threat to Indonesia'€™s aspirations.

The Indonesian badminton team is resting its two gold-medal hopes on men'€™s doubles pair Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan and mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir.

Both pairs were forced to forgo their world championship defense recently in Copenhagen, Denmark, due to injury and illness.

Thomas Hallatu and Arief are expected to carry on their winning run at the 2013 SEA Games when the rowing race begins, with 14 gold medals on offer, including one in the lightweight men'€™s doubles, next Wednesday at Chungju Tangeum Lake.

The cycling team will try to leave internal bickering behind and concentrate on the women'€™s BMX event, in which their best rider, Elga Kharisma Novanda, is expected to reap the benefits of her arduous training in the lead up to the games.

Lindswell will carry Indonesia'€™s gold hopes in wushu, when she takes to the Ganghwa Dolmens Gymnasium on Monday. Solid team work is expected in the bowling, equestrian and soft tennis arena where the Indonesian contingent is also pinning some of its gold hopes.

If the gold medal target is not achieved, Indonesia still may not return home in complete dejection if it is rewarded the right to host the next games, expected to take place in 2019. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has planned a five-year break (not the regular four years) to prevent the games from falling into the same cycle as the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

Should Indonesia be successful in its bid, it will be the second time the country will host the event, which was first held in New Delhi in 1951.

After Manila 1954 and Tokyo 1958, Jakarta was granted the 1962 games featuring 14 sports, in which Indonesia finished second in the medal tally with 11 gold medals, behind winner Japan. Indonesia'€™s medal haul at the 1962 games remains its most successful effort on record.

The last games, held in Guangzhou, China, in 2010, saw Indonesia finish in 15th position among 45 OCA country members with four gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals.

Indonesia made a bid to become the 2019 host but was beaten by Vietnam in a vote that took place in 2012. However, when Vietnam backed out in April, citing financial difficulties, Indonesia became the favorite to host the 2019 games, although reports say Malaysia and the Philippines have also shown an interest.

Last month, OCA honorary vice president Wei Jizhong visited Jakarta to assess the country'€™s readiness to host the event.

The OCA General Assembly will decide on Saturday if Indonesia, which has proposed Jakarta and Palembang as competition venues, gets a second chance to host the games.