Jakarta, Indonesia, July 2, 2018: Olympic Council of Asia Vice President Rita Subowo is confident that the Indonesian people are ready to support the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
Speaking after the Jakarta leg of the OCA’s Asian Games Fun Run on Sunday, Mrs Subowo said the turn-out and festival atmosphere pointed towards a successful Asian Games.
"Through this Fun Run you can see the awareness of the Jakarta people of the Asian Games," said Mrs Subowo, a former president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee and former member of the International Olympic Committee.
"We had a maximum limit of 5,000 runners here in Jakarta but I think 7,000 people were involved in some way in the Fun Run, as runners, sponsors, media and supporters," she added.
"This awareness of the Asian Games will bring the people to support the Asian countries who are taking part and to see the Asian Games in their own country."
This will be the second time the Asian Games has been held in Indonesia – the first time was the fourth edition in Jakarta in 1962 – but it will be the first time they have been co-hosted, with Jakarta being joined by Palembang, capital of South Sumatra.
Mrs Subowo said the President of the Republic, Joko Widodo, had asked all provinces in Indonesia to promote the Asian Games and encourage the people to support their country, which will be represented by 900 athletes in the 40 sports, 67 disciplines and 463 events.
"We are hoping that people from all over Indonesia will come to watch the Games, not just the people of Jakarta and Palembang," she said.
"We feel it will be good for the economy and good for domestic tourism with people coming from the provinces.
"It will be a repeat of the last time we hosted the Asian Games in 1962, full of nostalgia, emotion and passion. We have a chance again to organise the Asian Games and we will be using most of the same venues and places from 1962, so it is good for our Games."
The OCA’s 18th Asian Games will run from August 18 to September 2 and feature 10,000 athletes from the OCA’s 45 member National Olympic Committees.
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