Indonesia Will Host 2019 Asian Games
Indonesia says it would be “proud” to host the 2019 Asian Games following Vietnam’s announcement it would withdraw from holding the event.
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) members have confirmed to reporters that Indonesia is now the leading candidate, but said more negotiations would be needed.
“The Indonesian people would be proud of being the 2019 Asian Games host country after it held the Games several decades ago,” Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) official Ade Lukman said.
Ade Lukman (left) – (courtesy photo)
“It is very important for Indonesia if we are nominated as the Asian Games host country, as it will help create stronger interest in sports here and hopefully it will help improve the achievement of our athletes competing in the event.”
Staging the world’s second biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics requires hundreds of millions of dollars of investment.
An OCA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Jakarta authorities have questioned the cost of the event.
“Indonesia, which was beaten by Vietnam in the hosting vote in 2012, is seen as the strongest candidate,” the source said.
If Indonesia is selected as host, the event will take place in the country’s second biggest city of Surabaya on eastern Java island, Mr Lukman said.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced on Thursday that his country was pulling out of hosting the 2019 Games because of economic “difficulties”.
Malaysia, Thailand show interest
Indonesia is one of three countries that have since shown an interest in hosting the event, the other two are also from East Asia, a source familiar with negotiations said.
Malaysia said it would consider replacing Vietnam to hosts the event, but only if the OCA helped foot the bill, according to a top official at the country’s Olympic body.
The short time-frame is likely to rule out Thailand, who has hosted the event a record four times since the inaugural India Games in 1951.
Thailand will instead focus on bidding for the 2023 Games.
“It is only five years from now. It is too soon for us to prepare for the 2019 Games,” Yutthasak Sasiprabha, president of the Thai Olympic body, said.
OCA director general Husain Al Musallam says a final decision on the new Games host country will be made on September 20 in Incheon, South Korea – the location of this year’s Asian Games.
South Korea will host a scaled back edition of the event consisting of 36 sports and 13,000 athletes, who will use 49 competition and 54 training venues.
Indonesia staged the Asian Games in Jakarta in 1962.
Source: AFP/Reuters