Jakarta
A Friday gathering at Istora Senayan in Central Jakarta was the first time in a year the sports arena hosted hundreds of athletes after a frustrating hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But those athletes, representing various sports, were not there to compete. They lined up to receive their first jab of a COVID-19 vaccine as part of the second phase of the government’s vaccination program. Swimmer I Gede Siman Sudartawa, who specializes in backstroke, said he planned to go straight to the gym after receiving the jab, saying he had not felt any side effects. “I asked [the health workers] if I could exercise after this, and they said yes as long as I don’t experience any side effects. But if, for example, I get a headache, they suggested that I get some rest,” he said on Friday. Echoing Siman, sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri cheerfully said he only felt a...