TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama - or Ahok - is optimistic of Jakarta's capability to host the upcoming 2018 Asian Games.

"As one of the host cities, we have to start preparing. We have to prove that we are capable of hosting the Games," said Ahok at the City Hall in Central Jakarta on Monday.

According to Ahok, the last time Indonesia was chosen to host the international sporting event was in 1962. As such, Ahok hopes that Indonesia is capable of becoming a great host for the upcoming Games.

"The last time that we hosted the Games was in 1962. We have been chosen to host the games again, after a 56-year hiatus - that is why we have to take advantage of this opportunity, to show the world that Indonesia has changed for the better," said Ahok.

Ahok - who had been in Incheon to watch the opening of the 2014 Asian Games - is optimistic that Indonesia is capable of presenting a spectacle that is just as festive.

"Truth be told, I think that the 2010 opening ceremony in Guangzhou was more impressive, but the use of technology in Incheon were truly extraordinary. That said, I am optimistic that Indonesia can rival it," said Ahok.

Last week, Ahok left for South Korea on Thursday, September 18, 2014, to inspect the site of a giant sea wall project in the country, before going to Incheon to watch the 17th Asian Games opening ceremony.

ANTARA | RR CORNEA KHARIANY | HEPPY RATNA