Asian Games: Indonesia’s ‘people power’ Asian Games legacy can boost its 2032 Olympic hopes
Jakarta and Palembang are still buzzing after the two-week sporting festival but Olympic dreams will hinge on Indonesia’s standing five years from now
The feel-good factor over Indonesia’s successful hosting of the Asian Games still flows through the hearts of its citizens and those who attended the festival in Jakarta and Palembang.
The 31 gold medals won by Indonesian athletes, praise for its largely efficient handling of 11,000 athletes and thousands of media and the prospect of an Olympic bid for the 2032 Games is helping to sustain a buzz that has resonated ever since the awe-inspiring opening ceremony at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on August 18.
The refrain that echoed across venues and streets on September 2 as visitors said their goodbyes was “See you at the Olympics!”
Indeed, Jakarta showed it was more than capable of managing, facilitating, accrediting and transporting tens of thousands of people as it would need to do to stage an Olympic Games.
The Rio de Janeiro-type set-up in which venues were located in three main clusters around Jakarta is a winning formula, made even better by residents who thronged the thoroughfare leading to the main stadium – which enjoyed a party atmosphere thanks to the shops, food stalls and entertainment offerings lining the road.