I

ndonesia was a young nation when it dared to host the Asian Games for the first time back in 1962 in the face of hyperinflation. Leaping 56 years forward, the country is confronting similar challenges, yet it is brimming with confidence in bringing the continent’s sporting gala to Jakarta and Palembang.

Time will tell how the enthusiasm to play host to the Games, second only to the Olympics, owes its origin to the spirit of freedom this nation’s forefathers handed down to the next generations. It is by no means a coincidence that this year’s Games officially open on Saturday, just a day after the host country commemorated the 73rd anniversary of independence.

The struggle to win the trust of the Olympic Committee of Asia to hold the Games, the huge budget and efforts made to realize the massive infrastructure development to support the hosting of the event and not least the sacrifice of Jakarta’s residents to pave the way for a successful, historic Games speak volumes of this nation’s fighting spirit. If not for the full backing of the whole nation, including contributions from regional governments to the cash-strapped central government, the dream of organizing the Games would have remained elusive.

Indonesia has since its birth gone through one crisis after another, including war, and survived. The country, therefore, cannot afford to miss the rare opportunity to organize Games that all participating athletes from giant China to its tiny neighbor Bhutan will remember as the best ever, fingers crossed.

The government has completed major renovations of facilities and construction of new venues and athletes villages (apartments to be precise) to live up to the high standard of international competition. The Jakarta administration also plays a pivotal role through, among other things, traffic arrangements that will facilitate the movement of athletes and improve the city’s air quality, which will help the sportsmen and women to perform their best.

For Indonesia and participating countries, the Games is a story of national pride. About 11,000 athletes will show who is the fastest and strongest and therefore deserving of the laurels. Each medal they win signifies the achievement of their respective country in developing sports and, to some extent, national character.

Despite the yawning gap between Asia’s sporting powerhouses and the rest of the continent, the Games, as always, imbue the spirit of friendship and peace, which this year is evident in the participation of archrivals North and South Korea under one banner, albeit only in three medal events. But such progress is deemed extraordinary and should impact the ongoing efforts to create a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Asia.

It turns out that the Games are not just another event to demonstrate one’s supremacy over another. Rather, it is a four-yearly event that binds people across the world’s largest and most populous continent. The Games provide is the energy that fuels the region’s quest for well-being.