TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia will, for the second time, host the Asian Games, the biggest and prestigious sporting event in Asia, after the one in 1962, or more than five decades ago.
It is indeed a pride for Indonesia to be able to again host the event, as it may also showcase what the country has achieved or will achieve in all sectors in future.
Indonesia is currently intensifying development efforts in all sectors, especially infrastructure and tourism, across the country to improve connectivity and economic welfare of its people.
Read also: Indonesia to Host 40 Sports Event at Asian Games 2018
In view of this, Indonesia plans to broadcast live most of the events of the Asian Games.
The XVIII Asian Games are scheduled in two cities -- Jakarta, the capital city, and Palembang in South Sumatra -- from August 18 to September 2, 2018.
Indonesia plans to broadcast live 38 out of the 40 sports to be competed at the event.
"We will use a total of 427 high-definition cameras to broadcast all sports events live, except bridge and squash," Director of Broadcast of the Asian Games 2018 Organizing Committee INASGOC Linda Wahyudi stated.
INASGOC has signed a contract with Swiss International Games and Broadcast Services as a partner in broadcasting the Asian Games 2018 live.
A Japanese broadcasting company Dentsu will be the Asian Games 2018 broadcast rights holder, while the Emtek Group has the broadcast rights of the 2018 Asian Games for Indonesia.
The organizer will also broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies of the event to be attended by thousands of athletes from 54 countries.
INASGOC expects to spend up to Rp800 billion to broadcast live the 38 sports events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies and targets 20 countries to broadcast live for three weeks.
According to INASGOC Chairman Erick Thohir, six Asian countries have already acquired the broadcasting rights: Qatar, China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and India.
Besides Asian and Latin American countries, Indonesia is also eyeing the US to buy rights to broadcast live the events, as there are several Asians living there, Thohir noted.
Four to five billion people are expected to watch the events and activities during the three-week Asiad, Thohir noted.
Government public relations services across the country and community information groups have expressed readiness to make the four-yearly event a success through the traditional, print, electronic, or social media.
South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin pointed out that Palembang was chosen to be the co-host of the event along with Jakarta, as it had successfully organized the 2014 National Games as well as other regional and national events.
It was due to Indonesia`s track record of success that it has been trusted to host the event, and he called for full support from all parties to make it a success.
Rosarita Niken Widiastuti, the director general of public information and communication, said Palembang has been chosen to be the venue for "Synergy of Public Information and Communication Actions" since it will play host to the XVIII Asian Games.
At the opening of the event, she urged to lend support to make the Asiad a success and thereby confirming it as a declaration of support from all government relations services and community information groups made during the event.
She stated that the move was also made with the objective of eliminating possible hoaxes that could affect the implementation of the Asian Games.
At the launch of "Countdown to Asian Games 2018" in Jakarta on Aug 18, President Joko Widodo had called on all people to unite in the efforts to make the event a success.
"As the host, we must work together and unite all forces to make the Asian Games 2018 a success," he emphasized.
A total of 40 sports comprising 462 events of 32 Olympic sports and eight non-Olympic sports will be competed in during the XVIII Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
Following are the lists of Olympic and non-Olympic sports to be competed in the XVIII Asian Games:
Olympic sports
1- Aquatics
2- Athletics
3- Fencing
4- Weightlifting
5- Basketball
6- Handball
7- Badminton
8- Baseball/Softball
9- Cycling
10- Equestrian
11- Golf
12- Wrestling
13- Hockey
14- Judo
15- Karate
16- Canoeing and Kayak
17- Sailing
18- Shooting
19- Modern Pentathlon
20- Archery
21- Sport climbing
22- Rowing
23- Rugby
24- Gymnastics
25- Skateboarding
26- Football
27- Table tennis
28- Taekwondo
29- Tennis
30- Boxing
31- Triathlon
32- Volleyball
Non-Olympic sports
1- Bowling
2- Bridge
3- Cricket
4- Kabaddi
5- Martial Arts (Jujitsu, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Sambo, and Wushu)
6- Mechanical Sports (Paragliding and Jet ski)
7- Squash
8- Sepak Takraw
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