PROMOTION ACTIVITIES OF ASIAN GAMES 2018 INTENSIFIED by Fardah

Jakarta, April 27, 2018 (Antara)-  The Indonesian Government has intensified various promotional activities to make the public aware of the 18th Asian Games which will be held simultaneously in Jakarta and Palembang in South Sumatra Province, on Aug 18-Sept 2, 2018.

          The efforts are in accordance with a call voiced by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who considered that publications on the planned Asian Games on the domestic and international media were too few.

          During a meeting discussing the preparations for the largest sports event in Asia, held in Bogor Palace, on April 18, 2018, the Head of State  urged his cabinet to publish promotional materials and advertisements of Asian Games once in every two weeks.

         "Promotion of the Asian Games can be conducted every two weeks on  local and international media," Jokowi said.

         Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi recently organized a fun biking event at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, as part of promotional events for the 18th Asian Games and the Third Asian Para Games which will be organized on Oct 6-13, 2018.

         "This is one of the events to promote the implementation of the Asian Games and Para Games," Minister Nahrawi stated.

           Officials and other employees of the youth affairs and sports ministry participated in the fun biking event.

            While biking, he made several stops to check various venues to be used for the Asian Games and interacted with the people exercising in the sports stadium.

            The minister plans to hold a fun biking event to promote the Asian Games and Para Games every Wednesday.

            Some 9,500 athletes, 2,500 personnel of the Asian Olympic Council, and 5,500 technical delegates from 45 Asian countries will participate in the Asian Games. At least 3,500 media representatives are expected to cover the Games.

            Around three thousand differently abled athletes and one thousand officials from 43 Asian countries will participate in the Asian Para Games.

          Overseas, North Korea will organize a Fun Run event on May 1, 2018, to promote the Asian Games.

            The National Olympic Council of North Korea confirmed by email that the May series would start in Pyongyang, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on its official website.

            "This would be a real feather in the cap for the OCA to take the Asian Games Fun Run Series to North Korea at a time when the International Olympic Committee is enjoying warm relations with the DPRK government and sports leaders," OCA wrote.

            The OCA¿s continent-wide Asian Games Fun Run Series has a busy schedule for the months of April and May.

            The OCA, working in cooperation with the 45 National Olympic Committees in five zones of Asia, is organizing the Fun Run Series to promote the Asian Games among the young generation and to encourage a healthy lifestyle and active participation in sports.

             The most recent Fun Run took place in Macau, China, on March 25, when almost one thousand students from 10 secondary schools joined the 2-kilometer run, accompanied by athletes who will be representing Macau at the 18th Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.

           Next was in Punakha, Bhutan, on 7 April, and followed by Nepal, Oman, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan before the end of April.

           At local level, South Sumatra is also intensifying promotion of the 18th Asian Games, in line with an instruction of President Jokowi, according to South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.

           A recent limited cabinet meeting concluded that promotion should be stepped up because many people were not aware of the Asian Games to be implemented in Jakarta and Palembang this year, Noerdin said in Palembang, on April 22, 2018.      
    The South Sumatran administration involves very stakeholder in the promotion of the regional sport event.

        When the public is aware that Palembang will host the Asian Games 2018, they will support the sport event and try to get economic benefit from the Games, he remarked.

            "This is an extraordinary momentum. Lets try to get benefit optimally, and to boost various sectors such as creative economic and tourism," he said.

         The governor has called on the local people to help make the Asian Games a success.

         The peak of the promotion activities will be the torch relay which will start on July 15 and pass through 53 cities and districts in the country, according to chief of Indonesia¿s Asian Games 2018 organizing committee (Inasgoc) Erick Thohir.

            "The torch relay is aimed at promoting the 18th Asian Games to the public, so they will support this multi-sport event," Thohir noted during a meeting with the Home Affairs Ministry in Jakarta on April 23.

            The torch will first be lit at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, the first host of the Asian Games in 1951.

         The flame of the Asian Games torch is directly lit by the rays of the sun that get reflected through a parabolic mirror. After being launched in India, the torch will be transported to the Mrapen eternal flame in Grobogan, Central Java, on July 18.

            After passing through Java Island, the torch will traverse Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and West Papua as well as cover South Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, Banten, and West Java.

            The complete schedule of the torch relay in Indonesia: July 18 in Mrapen, Purwodadi District, Central Java; July 18-19 in Prambanan Temple, Sleman, Yogyakarta; July 19-20, Sriwedari Stadium in Surakarta, Central Java; July 20 in Sukoharjo and Wonogiri, Central Java; July 20-21 in Ponorogo, East Java; July 21 in Trenggalek and Tulungagung, East Java; July 21-22 in Blitar, East Java; July 22-23 in Bromo, Malang, East Java; July 23 in Probolinggo, East Java; July 24-26 in Ijen and Boom Beach during the Banyuwangi Festival, East Java; and July 26 at the Gilimanuk Port, Singaraja, Batur Lake, Bali.

            Meanwhile, on July 26-27, the torch will be brought to Besakih Temple, Bali; in Kuta Beach, Bali, on July 27-28; in Denpasar on July 28; in Kuta and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue on July 28-29 during the Bali Festival; on July 29-31 in Sorong, West Papua, for the Raja Ampat Festival; on July 31 and Aug 1-2 in Makassar to Tanjung Bira Bay, South Sulawesi; on Aug 2-4 in Makassar, South Sulawesi; on Aug 4-7 in Jakabaring and Musi River for the Sriwijaya Festival in Palembang, South Sumatra; and on Aug 7-9 in Lampung.

            The relay will continue during the Banten Festival in Serang, Banten, on Aug 9-10, followed by the Purwakarta Festival in Purwakarta, West Java, on Aug 10-11. Meanwhile, on Aug 11-13, the torch relay will support the West Java Festival at Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Lembang, and the Sate Building in Bandung.

            On Aug 13-15, the torch will pass through Bogor, and the flame will arrive at the Jakarta City Hall on Aug 15 and the Merdeka Palace on Aug 16. The torch will be showcased on Aug 17 at the National Monument, Jakarta, and the relay will conclude at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, where the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games will take place on August 18.

         This is the second time that Indonesia is hosting the Asian Games, the first one being held in Jakarta in 1962. ***4***
(f001/INE)