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Asian Games flame set for ultimate lap in Jakarta
A month after starting its journey in India, the historic birthplace of the Asian Games’ sacred flame, the torch has finally arrived in Jakarta for its final lap
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A month after starting its journey in India, the historic birthplace of the Asian Games’ sacred flame, the torch has finally arrived in Jakarta for its final lap.
This is the second time that the city will host the quadrennial event.
The torch will traverse five municipalities and one regency in the capital on Wednesday before ending its journey at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Central Jakarta, where the opening ceremony of the largest sporting competition in Asia is slated to kick off on Saturday.
In each municipality, the relay will stop at 20 checkpoints, where cultural performances, such Reog Ponorogo and ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies), will be held.
Athletes, public figures, government officials and students will take part in the event.
The Jakarta administration has arranged for 25,000 students to participate in the four-day relay in the city.
Roads affected by the relay will be temporarily closed to motorists but organizers expect that members of the public will turn up to witness the event.
The organizers have gone the extra mile to invite some well-known celebrities, such as Korean boy bands SE7EN and KStar, to be involved in the event.
“We really hope that the [road closures] won’t encourage members of the public to avoid the areas […] We want them to also enliven the event, particularly because Jakarta is the final destination and the host city of the event,” Judisari Celerina, the vice director of the Games’ ceremony committee, told a press briefing at the GBK on Tuesday.
She added that based on past experience, the crowds witnessing the relay in big cities have been less impressive compared to smaller towns like Garut, West Java, where throngs of people hit the street to celebrate the event.
The torch is scheduled to begin its journey in East Jakarta on Wednesday at 8 a.m., departing from Keramat Jati Mall and going all the way through the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) cultural park, before continuing its journey to East Jakarta’s Gedong open field.
The 11-kilometer relay is expected to finish at 12:20 p.m.
From East Jakarta, the torch will be carried by car to state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia’s (BRI) branch office in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, before heading to Ragunan Zoo, where a mini cauldron will be lit.
From there, the relay will continue to the South Jakarta District Court.
The whole journey in South Jakarta will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In the afternoon, the torch will be carried to City Hall where it will be held overnight.
On Thursday, the relay will continue in Central Jakarta.
Departing from Kemayoran Mosque at 7:45 a.m., the runners will stop at several spots, including the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, Kota Tua in West Jakarta and Kalijodo Park in North Jakarta, before concluding their journey at Sunter Lake in the afternoon.
On Friday, The relay will be held in Thousand Islands regency and return to Monas in the evening.
“Starting on Aug. 17, residents of Jakarta will be able to directly witness the Asian Games’ flame at Monas. We have prepared a mini cauldron there. The next day, we will carry the torch from Monas to the GBK,” Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) chief Erick Thohir said.
The relay on Saturday spans 18 km and involves 2,018 runners and 50 torch bearers, which symbolizes the date when the Games kick off.
Legendary Indonesian athletes, such as boxer Syamsul Anwar Harahap and shuttlers Ricky Subagja and Icuk Sugiarto, will be involved in the relay that will take place on Jl. Sudirman-Thamrin.
