Jakarta Gears Up to Host Asian Games 2018

Jakarta (Antara Bali) -- The provincial government of Jakarta, through the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs (Disorda), is focusing on the implementation of Asian Games 2018, which will be organized in the capital city.

"We are concentrating on the implementation of Asian Games 2018, which will be held in Jakarta. Preparations for the tournament will be expedited this year," Head of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs of Jakarta Firmansyah said here on Monday.

Jakarta has several sports facilities that can be used to support the implementation of Asia's largest sporting event, he added.

"However, the sports facilities are quite old and need to be renovated," Firmansyah pointed out.

Therefore, he emphasized that all sports facilities in the city will be revamped.

"We will standardize the sports facilities next year. Currently, we are focusing on improving the facilities," he remarked.

In addition, Firmansyah affirmed that they will improve the performance of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs to ensure that the renovation of the facilities is completed.

According to the official website of the Jakarta provincial government, the Jakarta Sports and Youth Affairs Department (Disorda) will revamp the sports arenas of five sub-districts in the city this year as they are no longer useable, having been built in the 1970s.

It is estimated that the rehabilitation of the sports arenas will cost Rp200 billion, with renovations for each predicted to cost Rp40 billion. The sports centers to be renovated are those of the sub-districts of Matraman, Pademangan, Cengkareng, Cilandak, and Pancoran.

So far, only 13 of 36 sport centers have been renovated. Five of them will be completely revamped this year.

Among the five arenas that will be renovated, Matraman and Lebak Bulus are in the worst condition. Such is its state that the Matraman sports center is now being demolished. In its 6,000-square-meter plot of land, a two-storey structure will be rebuilt, including an auditorium on the ground floor and a sports hall on the second floor. (WDY)