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View Point: Asian Games 2018: Double trouble for Indonesia?
Fifty-six years of waiting will go to waste if Jakarta is not ready in less than three years from now to host the 2018 Asian Games
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Fifty-six years of waiting will go to waste if Jakarta is not ready in less than three years from now to host the 2018 Asian Games. There are no significant signs in the city yet of its upcoming responsibility to host the 18th quadrennial multi-sport event since being appointed last year.
Usually, any city proudly declares that they have been appointed to host such an event through a countdown, regularly announcing any progress that they have made and raising awareness that their city will host a major event.
For example, after Beijing was named host for the 2022 Winter Olympics earlier this year, a few variety shows used the event as their theme, involving actors and pop stars to attract the public's attention.
But here, many may not even be aware of the 2018 Games. There was a launch of the logo on National Sports Day in September, but apart from that, dissemination of information about the Games is barely happening.
It was not a surprise when Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama needed to rush the city's preparations after meeting with the Indonesian Olympics Committee (KOI), as the latter said the Olympics Council of Asia (OCA) doubted that Jakarta would be ready by 2018.
'We need to step up our game. The OCA already doubts Indonesia's ability to host the 2018 Asian Games. Our position is threatened because China is already very prepared. They [OCA's representatives] will come to Jakarta this weekend to check our progress,' Ahok said on Thursday.
Jakarta replaced Vietnam after the latter retracted its bid last year. The event was originally scheduled for 2019, but was pushed forward to 2018 because of a presidential election scheduled for the following year. The games will take place from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2, 2018, with the opening ceremony to be staged in Jakarta and a closing ceremony in Palembang.
The South Sumatra provincial capital claims it will be ready for the event and says it is currently working on developing supporting infrastructure by expanding the airport, constructing a monorail connecting the airport and Jakabaring sports complex and building a new hospital.
If the OCA decides that Jakarta is not ready, China may be the best candidate to host the event as Beijing successfully hosted the 2008 summer Olympics and the Asian Games in 1990, while Guangzhou hosted the Asian Games in 2010 and will host the event again in 2022.
Ahok said his administration had prepared all renovation designs for venues to be used in the Asian Games, and said the government was currently calling on tender holders to begin construction.
He also pointed out that his administration was still waiting for the State Secretariat to hand over an 11-hectare plot of land in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, in order to begin construction on an athlete's village to accommodate athletes and officials participating in the games.
Lawmakers at the House of Representatives Commission II overseeing regional autonomy previously rejected the handover, saying that the land was an asset of the state.
'This situation is a bit worrisome for us. Hopefully the State Secretariat and the Vice President [Jusuf Kalla] can lobby the lawmakers,' Ahok said.
Newly appointed KOI chairman Erick Thohir ' who is also the ex-officio chief organizer of the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee as stipulated in Presidential Decree No. 12/2015 ' pushed Jakarta, and Palembang as co-hosts, to finish all venue renovations and construction by 2017.
'There will be a preliminary competition called the Youth Asian Games to test our preparedness. Venues for at least nine events should be ready for these events,' he said.
It is indeed a herculean task not only for Ahok and Erick but for all citizens to make the event a success.
Interdepartmental coordination is absolutely essential, since the infrastructure is not solely the governor's responsibility.
Access to and from the airport for visitors, smooth traffic during the Games from the athletes' village to venues, security, hotel occupancy and access for spectators and supporters are only a few details that must also be focused on.
However, the preparation is not only about infrastructure.
When Indonesia hosted the Asian Games in 1962, it finished fourth with only four gold medals. Indonesia also only brought home four gold medals in the games held in 2002, 2010 and 2014. And in the 2006 games we only took home two gold medals.
The National Sports Council (KONI) still has time to groom the national squad for the event. Currently, several sports organizations have sent their athletes to compete in tournaments that also serve as a qualification events for the games. As the hosting country, Indonesia will definitely want to improve its medal tally.
It is already less than 1,000 days away. Indonesia has no other option but to speed up its preparation for the Asian Games both as the hosting country and a participant.
And we as Indonesians can support the preparation and throw our weight behind our athletes so they can give their best shot at the event.
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The writer is managing editor of The Jakarta Post.
