After a 16-month renovation, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium was officially reopened by President Joko Widodo on Sunday.
By
·2 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta continues to have its renovation accelerated in order to have it completed before the start of the 2018 Asian Games. The Indonesian national soccer team played a friendly match on Sunday against Iceland at GBK Main Stadium.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – After a 16-month renovation, Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium was officially reopened by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Sunday. The official reopening was held after the completion of a renovation project that begun in August 2016 with a budget of more than Rp 760 billion (US$60.8 million).
“By the grace of the God, I officially reopen the renovated Gelora Bung Karno Stadium,” the President announced after signing an inauguration epigraph at the sports stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Sunday.
In the ceremony, the President was accompanied by Vice President Jusuf Kalla and a number of ministers. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry said the stadium renovation project was conducted by contractors PT Adhi Karya and PT Penta Rekayasa Kerja Sama Operasi (KSO) with a contract value of Rp 769.7 billion.
Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said, as the party in charge of the renovation, his ministry would need to do some tests on the quality of lighting, grass, sound system and scoreboard. In line with this, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) held a friendly match between Indonesia’s Asian Games 2018 national soccer team and the Icelandic national soccer team.
The day before, the President wrote on his official Facebook account that he was proud to be inaugurating GBK Stadium. “Seven months before the Asian Games 2018 are held, the renovation on Gelora Bung Karno Sports Stadium has finally been completed. The sports stadium is ready for use. This is the face of the new GBK Stadium,” the President wrote.
The President said the sports stadium could seat 80,000 sports fans in individual seats and has fulfilled evacuation accessibility standards. “Each seat can bear up to 250 kilograms and is not easy to detach. This will hopefully curb acts of vandalism,” he said.
The stadium also fulfilled FIFA’s safety standards. In emergencies, the stadium can be evacuated within 15 minutes.
Previously, on Dec. 2, the President inaugurated four other arenas in the GBK complex for the Games with a total investment value of Rp 370 billion. These arenas are for hockey, aquatic sports and archery, as well as the ABC soccer field.
