The Asian Age

40 sports at 2018 Asiad in Jakarta

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Ashgabat (Turkmenist­an), Sept. 21: Indonesia will host a total of 40 events at next year’s Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang after reaching a deal with the Olympic Council of Asia, the head of Indonesia’s organising committee said.

With less than a year to go until the Games open next August, the final programme had been in doubt before an agreement was reached during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, currently taking place in the Turkmenist­an’s capital Ashgabat.

Under the agreement, the Games — larger than the Olympics both in terms of the number of sports and competitor­s — will incorporat­e 40 sports and 462 gold medal events.

The final number is down from the 42 sports that the OCA announced in March, but one more than the 39 that Indonesia’s organising committee (INASGOC) had proposed.

“Basically, we had already agreed on 39 sports but the policy that we have to follow is what is on the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan so that is why a new one has come up,” INASGOC secretary general Eris Herryanto said, after Indonesia presented their final plans to the OCA general assembly on Wednesday.

“We are supported by the

Under the agreement, the Games — larger than the Olympics both in terms of the number of sports and competitor­s — will incorporat­e 40 sports and 462 gold medal events

The final number is down from the 42 sports that the OCA announced in March, but one more than the 39 that Indonesia’s organising committee had proposed

Ministry of Public Affairs, and they are going to build all the infrastruc­ture,” Herryanto said.

“Some of it is already finished but most of (it) will be finished by the end of this year so we are confident we’ll have all the venues ready in time for next year. It’s been more than 50 years since we had the Asian Games so we are very about excited and looking forward to it

The final programme includes all 33 sports that will be staged at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, as well as others that are popular in Asia such as additional martial arts, sepak takraw, kabaddi, jet ski, paraglidin­g and the card game bridge. — AFP

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