Indonesia test events slated

Host Indonesia is staging test events for several sports for the 2018 Asian Games starting this February, according to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

The capital city of Jakarta and Palembang are hosting the Asiad scheduled Aug. 18-Sept. 2 that will feature competition in 462 events from 40 sports, including 28 Olympic sports.

Athletics will have 48 gold medals at stake while aquatics will have a total 51, including 10 in diving.

The sports that will have test events are archery, athletics, basketball, boxing, football, weightlifting, volleyball, taekwondo and pencak silat with close to 2,000 athletes taking part based on the estimate of Indonesian organizers.

The Philippines is aiming to improve on its lone gold medal performance during the 2014 edition in Incheon, Korea. A BMX gold from Fil-Am Daniel Caluag saved the Philippine campaign.

So far, only the silver and gold medalists in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, and those who finished in the top four of the 2014 Games, medalists from the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games have been assured of slots alongside those who can finish in the top eight of any world event.

Even a few select athletes culled by the Philippine Sports Commission from various national sports associations have been seeded to the Asiad owing to their lofty standing.