REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Minister of Youth and Sports Roy Suryo has praised the South Sumatra provincial government's move to file a bid with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) headquarters in Kuwait to host the Asian Games 2018.

"I appreciate South Sumatra for its initiative to bid for the host of the Asian Games. I think Indonesia has a great chance to host the Asian sports event," he said, after opening a quick chess tournament entitled, So Nice Ramadhan Cup 2014, at the Youth and Sports Ministry building on Saturday.

South Sumatra has filed a bid with the OCA to host the once every four year sports event, after Vietnam and India dropped their bids. Roy said Vietnam, which had been nominated as the host of the Asian Games 2018, dropped its nomination, while India was considering bidding for it.

"Vietnam has dropped its nomination. And I heard that India, which is also one of the nominees, is considering dropping its nomination," he said.

"Next week we, and a South Sumatra team, will fly to Kuwait to discuss Indonesia's bid for the Asian Games 2018," he added.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta provincial government is reportedly interested in hosting the event. Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama, who had originally been planned to fly to Kuwait, had cancelled his plan.

Suryo said it was the authority of the central government, rather than provincial governments, to decide on the venue of the Asian Games 2018. Therefore, when OCA officials visited Indonesia one month ago, he asked them to inspect the planned venue of the event in South Sumatra, Jakarta and other provinces.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika