Indonesia ready to roll

JAKARTA: Indonesia has set aside worries about terrorism, street crime and Jakarta’s notorious traffic, saying it is ready to roll for the Asian Games in a week’s time.

Jakarta and Palembang in Sumatra are set to host about 11,000 athletes and 5,000 officials from 45 Asian countries for the Aug 18 to Sept 2 Games, the world’s biggest multi-sport event behind the Olympics.

Indonesia started with less time than most host countries after it agreed to hold the Games when Vietnam pulled out.

However, officials say they are ready to take the Games in their stride.

“There are no problems for the preparation so far, even if we have problems we will solve them right there right then,” chief organiser Erick Thohir told journalists on Thursday.

Seventy percent of tickets have been sold for the opening ceremony in the capital Jakarta next Saturday, he added.

Despite worries about Jakarta’s notorious traffic congestion, authorities say the implementation of an odd-even licence plate system is already bearing results.

Athletes and officials will travel on dedicated road lanes and schools will be closed to take the daily commute of millions of pupils out of the equation.

In a bid to safeguard the event, some 40,000 troops and police officers will be deployed in Jakarta and Palembang.

Police say they have been rounding up terror suspects and petty criminals in a pre-Games crackdown.

Haze from forest fires in Sumatra remains another potential headache for events in Palembang.

But Indonesian meteorologists have been monitoring weather conditions closely and extinguishing hotspots.

The Games’ preparation has not come without hiccups, however.

Still, excitement is building ahead of the Games.

“The Asian Games atmosphere is quite obvious here in Palembang, we have murals everywhere and our LRT (light rail) is already running,” Palembang resident Nicky Anggraini told

“I’m definitely going to watch the Games, I can’t wait,” she added. AFP