A month-long torch relay for the upcoming 18th Asian Games will start at Prambanan Temple in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday.

The torch was lit from an eternal flame in India — the first country to host the Asian Games in 1951, by Olympian Susy Susanti on Sunday. The torch flame, which was kept in a special lantern for the 11-hour flight from New Delhi, landed at Adisutjipto International Airport in Yogyakarta on Tuesday morning.

In the Prambanan ceremony on Wednesday, the torch with the flame from India will be unified with a flame originating from an eternal source in Mrapen in Purwodadi, Central Java, before being relayed a total of 18,000 kilometers through 54 cities in 18 provinces around the country.

“Vice President Jusuf Kalla will attend the unification of the flames at Prambanan Temple at 7 p.m.,” Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) chief Erick Thohir told the press on Tuesday.

Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, was chosen as it is the perfect spot to promote the country as a tourist destination to viewers in the Games’ 45 participating countries, he added.

The 2018 Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.

“We will host the biggest Asian Games in history because 16,920 athletes and officials will participate. It shows that Indonesia has earned the trust of the world,” said Erick.

In Tuesday’s event, the Air Force Boeing 737 aircraft carrying the flame from India entered Yogyakarta airspace flanked by five Air Force jet fighters — the T-50 I Golden Eagles — as a symbol of the Air Force’s readiness to secure the Games.

As soon as the aircraft landed, legendary Indonesian badminton player Susy carried the lantern holding the flame off the plane as Air Force chief of staff Air Marshall Yuyu Sutisna, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono and Erick welcomed her.

Yuyu gave an assurance that the flame remained lit during the long trip. “The flame is the one taken from India. It was well maintained in the lantern.”

The welcoming ceremony was made merrier by performances by a barongsai lion-dance troupe and traditional dancers, as well as an ultra-light plane towing colorful streamers.

Asian Games torch (JP/Boy T.Harjanto)

The torch was taken to the Dirgantara Mandala Air Force Museum where it would remain overnight before Wednesday’s ceremony.

Susy expressed her excitement about being part of the historical event.

“I hope Indonesia can achieve two successes: in hosting the Games as well as in the medal tally,” said Susy, a gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

In the meantime, West Java acting governor Comr. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan said he had discovered the Patriot Candrabaga Stadium soccer venue in Bekasi would need further renovations.

“We need to fix the grass on the pitch, the press conference room, the tribune area, digital board and seats. I will immediately report it to the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry,” Iriawan said on Monday, referring to the ministry responsible for most of the construction work for the Games.

Iriawan said the 30,000-seat stadium had uneven turf, walls needed repainting and there were problems with the press conference room.

Meanwhile, another soccer stadium, the Wibawa Mukti in Cikarang, seemed in better shape. Iriawan said its renovation work had reached 98 percent completion.

— Arya Dipa contributed to this story from Bandung.