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Weekly 5: A guide to getting sporty in the city
Besides having dozens of shopping malls, the capital is also home to dozens of sports centers and clubs, some of which have been around for decades
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em>Besides having dozens of shopping malls, the capital is also home to dozens of sports centers and clubs, some of which have been around for decades. Here are some sports centers that cater to Jakartans' exercise needs.
Soccer stadiums
JP/Bagus BT Saragih
Although Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, South Jakarta may be recognized as the largest soccer stadium in the capital, avid soccer fans and clubs have other options when they want to watch a match.
The Villa 2000 soccer club, for example, was based in the GOR (sports hall) Ciracas Stadium, East Jakarta, during last year's first division Indonesian Super League.
Located on Jl. Raya Bogor, the stadium ' worth Rp 173 billion (US$13.2 million) ' was opened in 2012.
It is built on a 6.6 hectare (ha) plot of land and can hold 1,700 spectators.
Other soccer stadiums are located in the heart of the capital, nestled between the skyscrapers. They include the Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacatra (VIJ) Stadium on Jl. Biak, Petojo, Central Jakarta, and GOR Soemantri Brodjonegoro (GSMB) Stadium in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Built in 1928, the VIJ stadium was named after a local soccer club that was later renamed Persija in 1950.
JP/Bagus BT Saragih
The Velodrome
Besides the Senayan sport complex, the Velodrome sport complex in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, is one of the biggest sport facilities in Jakarta.
Built in 1993, the Velodrome has various Olympic-sized facilities, like a cycling track, a swimming pool and five outdoor tennis courts.
The cycling track is located in a 11,908-square-meter venue with 500 seats.
The swimming pool, built in 1979, is the first public swimming pool in East Jakarta.
Youth and Sports Agency head, Zainal Sulaiman, said the Velodrome would be used as a venue in the 2018 Asian Games.
He said, however, that the venue would be going through some changes.
'We will create a new indoor stadium with a size of 11,908 square meters with better facilities,' he said, adding that although the Velodrome had the best cycling track in Indonesia, it still did not meet international standards.
Martial arts workshop
The Indonesia Martial Arts Organization (PnPSI) is located in the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) theme park in East Jakarta. The organization has a national-level workshop that was built on a 5.2-ha plot of land.
The workshop, locally known as padepokan, is the main venue for martial art competitions at national and regional levels.
Opened in 1997, PnPSI has nine buildings that serve various functions, such as a guest hall, a training center, a meeting room and office of the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat), a library, fitness center, a competition arena, lodging house, clinic, meditation space and mosque.
The competition venue in the complex can accommodate around 4,000 people.
Jakarta Golf Club
Located in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, the Jakarta Golf Club was established in 1872 as the Batavia Golf Club, by Englishmen A. Gray and T.C. Wilson.
Having only 16 members, the golf club established a field in Gambir, Central Jakarta, in its early years.
It moved to Bukit Duri in South Jakarta in 1911 before settling in its current place in 1937.
The golf club is now equipped with a driving range and an 18-hole golf course and restaurant.
It has also hosted numerous national and international tournaments.
Jakarta Golf Club member of staff Byna said the golf club was now home to roughly 2,800 members from across the country.
'Anyone can be a member. Just fill out a form and bring a copy of your ID and a recent head shot. There will be a short interview with the management and your membership will begin,' Byna said.
Squash centers
You can swing your squash racket in a number of places in Jakarta, such as Senayan Squash Court, the International Sports Club Indonesia (ISCI) in South Tangerang and Club 25 Kemang in South Jakarta.
Biondi, 26, said he had been a regular visitor at the Lebak Bulus Squash Court located beside Lebak Bulus Soccer Stadium in South Jakarta.
However, since the administration had announced its plan to tear down Lebak Bulus Stadium because of the construction of a mass rapid transit (MRT) depot, he had to find other venues to play.
Since December 2014, he said, the squash court in Lebak Bulus had been closed.
'Recently, I've played at the Club 25 Kemang and the court is quite good,' he said, adding that he spent Rp 125,000 ($9.70) to play for an hour on the weekend.
