A Good Start amid Pressing Deadline

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Junior high school students are deployed to be spectators of the 2018 Asian Games football match between Hong Kong and Laos at the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium, Bekasi, West Java, Friday (10/08/2018). Football became the first sports branch to be played at the the 2018 Asian Games.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Indonesia 2018 Asian Games Organizing Committee (Inasgoc) may breathe a sigh of relief after Hong Kong national U-23 football team coach Kenneth Kwok Kar Lok sang praises of the Games’ facilities and football venue in Bekasi, West Java. The 38-year-old coach praised the professionalism and hospitality of volunteers and hotel staff and the quality of accommodation and meals. He also said that Bekasi’s Patriot Chandrabaga Stadium, where a match between Hong Kong and Laos were held on Friday (10/8/2018), was in great condition.

“The reception and hospitality [during the 2018 Asian Games] are great. We were warmly welcomed at the hotel and the accommodation and food was great. The volunteers are very friendly and helpful. We are more than happy to be a part of this sports event,” said Kwok after Hong Kong defeated Laos 3-1.

Football is the first sport to be held in this year’s Asian Games before the opening ceremony at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta on Aug. 18. Another sports to begin before the opening ceremony are handball and basketball.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Preparation of the Candrabaga Patriot Stadium to be used in the 2018 Asian Games football match in Bekasi on Wednesday (08/08/2018). Indonesia vs Taiwan (China Taipei) U-23 national team became the opening match at the 2018 Asian Games at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday (12/08/2018).

Inasgoc Director of Transportation Purnomo said that transportation facilities for foreign athletes and officials staying at the Athletes Village or hotels around the sports venues are well-prepared. Latest simulation shows that travel time between the Kemayoran Athletes Village and the sports venues at GBK Sports Complex is around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, travel time between the Athletes Village and the handball venue at POPKI sports hall in Cibubur, East Jakarta, is around 30 minutes.

Professional management is expected in all 40 sports, enabling all delegations of the 45 participating countries to enjoy the comfort felt by the Hong Kong national U-23 football team.

However, just one week before the Games’ opening ceremony, much work is still to be done at several sports venues. As of Friday, the sepak takraw arena in Palembang, which will co-host the Games with Jakarta, is not yet completed. Kompas found that lighting and plywood boards were still being installed.

“Currently we are installing the flooring [for the pitch],” sepak takraw venue manager Islah Taufik said.

Islah said that further improvements were still needed, such as on covering the glass panels to avoid sun glares. “We target to finish everything on August 13. A team from Thailand will hold a trial practice then,” he said.

At the Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo) Kemayoran in North Jakarta, venue facilities such as boxing rings, mattresses and gymnastics equipment were not yet installed. The JI Expo will house venues for six sports, namely weightlifting in Hall A, table tennis and wushu in Hall B, boxing in Hall C, gymnastics in Hall D and bridge in the ballroom.

A number of workers were seen installing seats at the tribune in the gymnastics venue. Match mattresses and carpets were not yet installed. Work on installing lighting was ongoing.

In Hall D, served for gymnastics athletes’ warm-ups, the entire floor has been carpeted but equipment is yet to be installed. Rooms for athletes, officials and technical delegates have been prepared but neither desks nor chairs were available.

“Gymnastics equipment have yet to arrive [in Kemayoran]. They are already in Indonesia. The moment they arrive here, we will install them,” gymnastics venue manager Sri Sundari said on Thursday morning.

Installing equipment for artistic gymnastics will be prioritized as the sports will be the first held on Aug. 20. Sri said that the gymnastics venue was still below 50 percent complete, despite Inasgoc’s target of completing the venue on Aug. 12. (E10/E08/RAM/JON)