Asia’s biggest sports festival in which over 11,000 athletes from 45 countries will take part- the 18th Asian Games will begin on August 18 (Saturday) in Jakarta and Palembang at 3.30 pm (Sri Lanka time).
The athletes will compete in 40 events which is the second highest number of events in an Asian Games with the 2010 games in Guangzhou, China having the highest number of events (42). Indonesia is hosting the games for the second time having done so earlier in 1962 in which 12 countries took part and Japan emerged champions with 73 gold medals and Sri Lanka won a silver and two bronze medals.
China are favourites to dominate the Asian Games this time too having emerged champions in the last nine Asian Games. In the last Asian Games China won 151 gold medals, 109 silver medals and 85 bronze medals followed by South Korea which won 79 gold, 70 silver and 79 bronze medals. Sri Lanka won a gold and a bronze medal.
Sri Lanka is fielding a contingent of 163 athletes who will compete in 30 events, Kabaddi has the highest representation with 24 (12 men’s and 12 women’s) players.
The Lankan participants are five swimmers, 12 athletes, six shuttlers, 18 baseball players, eight cagers, two beach volleyball players, six boxers, four golfers, 18 hockey players, 14 volleyball players, two judokas, 24 kabaddi players, six karatekas, four skaters, four rowers, 12 rugby seven’s players, four squash players, two table tennis players, six taekwondo players, four tennis players, four weightlifters, two wushu players and archery (1), sailing (1), triathlon (1), wrestling (1) and gymnastic (1) while a player will represent the country in e-sports.
In addition 78 coaches and officials will accompany the team which is the highest representation by Sri Lanka in an Asian Games. This year, the sports complex will have 14 venues hosting at least 15 sports, in addition to other venues in the greater Jakarta area. Jakabaring Sports City in Palembang will host at least 10 sports.
The Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INAGOC) has allocated Rp. 8.7 trillion ($632 million) – Rp. 4.5 trillion of which comes from the Stage budget for the event. Around Rp. 3.7 trillion of this money will be spent on the revitalization of sporting events, both in Jakarta and Palembang.
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