Vice President Jusuf Kalla says people living around sports venues of the upcoming 2018 Asian Games have the right to make use of the facilities.

Kalla made the remark during his first visit to five sports venues and an athlete’s accommodation complex in Jakarta that will be used for the upcoming quadrennial multisport event, which is the biggest in the region.

“We want people living around the sports venues to also enjoy [the sports facilities], because it will have a positive impact,” the vice president said in a statement.

Kalla’s statement was made in response to a plan to evict a number of residents living near an equestrian venue in Pulomas. The Vice President pushed the venue’s developer Jakarta Propertindo to hold peaceful talks with residents about the plan.

Keeping residents using sports venues may also be a way to avoid possible abandonment after the August games are finished, as has happened in several other countries.

Brazil, the host of 2016 Olympic Games, is the most recent example, as it abandoned many installations and venues once the Games ended.

The five venues visited during the Sunday tour were the Gelora Bung Karno main stadium, aquatic center and Istora indoor stadium in the Senayan sporting complex; a velodrome in Rawamangun; and an equestrian arena in Pulomas. Meanwhile, the athlete’s village is in Kemayoran.

The visit was a follow-up of a March 25 meeting between Kalla and Inasgoc.

After visiting the athlete’s village, Kalla expressed satisfaction that progress at the facility had reached 70 percent.

“It has been just a year [since work started], but it already looks like this.

“Pak Erick and Ibu Puan said the village here would be better compared to those used in the Rio Olympics and London Olympics,” said Kalla, referring to Inasgoc chief Erick Thohir and Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani.

During the visit, Kalla was accompanied by Erick, Puan, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono as well as Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi.

Regarding the ongoing renovation works at sports venues, Kalla was confident that developers would meet their targets on time.

“We’ve visited five arenas, but I think they have represented all of the sports venues,” said Kalla.

With the renovation work at the main stadium, the biggest venue, progressing quite well — set to finish by August — Kalla is convinced the remaining arenas will follow suit.

“All construction and renovation works are set to be completed by the end of this year,” he added.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has remained firm about decreasing the number of sports to be played in the 2018 games to 36 from the initial 42.

The organizers need to negotiate with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on the cutting down before making it official.

Sports minister Imam said his team was in an ongoing process to determine which sports were being cut. “Hopefully, the list of the to-be-cut sports will be ready by next week.”

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