Asian Games open in Jakarta amid grand ceremony

The 18th Asian Games officially opened in Jakarta on Saturday night with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, bringing together thousands of athletes from across the continent.

The ceremony came just a day after Indonesia celebrated its 73rd Independence Day. Indonesian President Joko Widodo formally declared the Games open following an address by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

India’s contingent was led by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who carried the national flag during the opening ceremony. A total of 568 Indian athletes followed him in the athletes’ parade.

China, one of the dominant forces in Asian sport, arrived in Jakarta with a squad of 845 athletes. More than 600 members of the Chinese contingent had never previously competed at either the Olympic Games or the Asian Games, making the event an important opportunity for the country’s emerging sporting talent.

“The Asian Games can serve as a mid-term exam for us in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics,” Chinese delegation general secretary Liu Guoyong said ahead of the opening ceremony, underlining the importance of the event in preparing younger athletes for major international competition.

The Chinese team also included 19 Olympic champions, among them Rio Olympics women’s volleyball MVP Zhu Ting, badminton great Lin Dan and swimming star Sun Yang.

One of the most symbolic moments of the opening ceremony came when athletes from North and South Korea marched together under a unified Korean flag. The two countries, which had made a similar gesture at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics earlier in the year, were also set to compete as joint teams in women’s basketball, rowing and canoeing.

The athletes’ parade was followed by an elaborate cultural performance showcasing Indonesia’s rich heritage. Traditional dances, folklore, history and diverse cultural traditions were brought together against a dramatic backdrop depicting the country’s volcanic landscape.

The Asian Games cauldron was eventually lit by Susi Susanti, Indonesia’s first Olympic gold medallist and one of the country’s most celebrated badminton players.

China entered the Games as the leading medal contender after topping the Asian Games medal table at each of the previous nine editions. The Chinese contingent was set to compete in 376 medal events across 38 sports.

The Jakarta Asian Games featured 465 events across 40 sports, with 330 events in 32 disciplines also included in the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Games additionally provided a platform for sports such as sport climbing and skateboarding, which were being introduced to the Olympic programme.

Indonesia’s traditional martial art pencak silat was among the sports making its Asian Games debut, adding a distinctly local element to the competition.

Jakarta had a relatively short preparation period after becoming the host city only four years earlier. Vietnam had originally been selected to stage the Games but withdrew because of financial difficulties.

More than 10,000 athletes were expected to participate in the Asian Games, which were scheduled to continue until September 2. Jakarta served as the principal host city, while several events were held in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province.

The 2018 edition marked the second time Jakarta had hosted the Asian Games. The Indonesian capital previously staged the fourth edition in 1962.

The Asian Games themselves have a long history in India, with New Delhi hosting the inaugural edition in 1951. The 2018 Games therefore continued a sporting tradition that had begun in the Indian capital more than six decades earlier.