TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno said he will seek to have 20 percent of the 2018 Asian Games tickets allocated for students, free of charge. Sandiaga said he has made the suggestion to the Asian Games Committee (Inasgoc) chairman, Erick Thohir.

"I'm still trying to see if we can get a 20-percent quota from Inasgoc," Sandiaga said at the City Hall on Monday, July 2.

Since Tuesday, the Asian Games tickets have started to be sold online, for prices ranging from Rp50,000 to Rp5 million. For the opening ceremony, the ticket price is between Rp750,000 and Rp5 million.

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Sandiaga said those prices are too expensive; especially considering that the Jakarta administration has made the tickets tax-free.

The deputy governor worries that the public will hesitate to come to watch the games if tickets are expensive. The Jakarta government, he said, will mobilize students to fill in spectators' seats.

"I can't do anything about prices since that's Inasgoc's call. But we will seek a way to make them more affordable to the people of Jakarta," he said.

Inasgoc secretary general Eris Heriyanto said the plan to give free 2018 Asian Games tickets to the student had been discussed with the provincial government of Jakarta. Eris said he cannot give out details about the mechanisms yet.

Devy Ernis