'Unified' Koreans cheered as Asian Games begin

'Unified' Koreans cheered as Asian Games begin

Athletes from the two Koreas march into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium under the “unification” flag during the opening ceremony for the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta on Saturday evening. (AP Photo)
Athletes from the two Koreas march into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium under the “unification” flag during the opening ceremony for the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta on Saturday evening. (AP Photo)

JAKARTA: Thousands of spectators cheered wildly as athletes from the rival Koreas marched together in one of the highlights of the spectacular Asian Games opening ceremony.

The two countries have fielded 60 athletes in combined teams along with larger contingents for their respective national squads. They are competing together in several sports including women’s basketball and rowing.

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and several North Korean ministers watched as the athletes, many holding hands, paraded by in blue and white uniforms.

Some 42,000 people packed the Bung Karno stadium for an elaborate ceremony showcasing diverse Indonesian culture.

Asia’s biggest multisport event, attracting more than 10,000 athletes from across the continent, will feature two weeks of competition in 40 sports ranging from the mainstream to the esoteric.

The 18th edition of the Asian Games will be an important proving ground for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, a chance for Indonesia to show it can host a major sporting event, and a special occasion for North Korea and South Korea to demonstrate their detente.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo formerly declared the games open, a day after the country of 260 million celebrated the 73rd anniversary of its independence.

Symbolising the country’s rich geographical features, a gigantic greenery mountain and running waterfall built by local artists were set up in the stadium where popular Indonesian musicians and singers and thousands of dancers performed shows reflecting the archipelago’s cultural diversity.

Athletes from 45 countries and regions will vie in 465 events including non-Olympic disciplines such as kabaddi, sepak takraw and wushu.

Thailand, which has set an ambitious target of 17 gold medals at the games, is the perennial favourite in sepak takraw. The country has ent 829 athletes to Jakarta.

Veteran volleyball star Pleumjit Thinkaow carries the flag as the Thai team marches into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium during the opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Jakarta on Saturday. (AP Photo)

Nearly 40,000 troops and police officers will be deployed at all venues of the 16-day sports spectacular to ensure security and prevent potential terrorist attacks.

It is the second time since 1962 that Indonesia has hosted the games, the world’s largest multisport event after the Olympics.

“As an Indonesian, I am proud because it rarely happens here,” said Tono Siswandjava, a 61-year-old businessman from Bandung in West Java. “In 1962, I was still a kid and could not really feel the atmosphere.

“Fifty years from now, I may have already died. So, this is a very rare opportunity and I don’t want to miss it.”

All 32 Tokyo Olympics sports, with the lone exception of surfing, will be contested in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, in South Sumatra. Those include skateboarding and sport climbing, which are among five new categories added to the programme for Tokyo 2020.

Esports, or competitive video gaming, will also make its debut at the quadrennial games as a demonstration sport before it becomes a medal event in 2022.

China has constantly topped the Asian Games’ medal standings since 1982. This time, it has the second largest contingent of 845 athletes after Indonesia.

But about three-quarters of China’s athletes are relatively young and lacking experience at either the Olympics or Asian Games.

The makeup of the squad, Chinese officials say, is designed to uncover future medal hopefuls and help a new generation of athletes gain competitive experience ahead of the 2020 Tokyo games.

South Korea and Japan, which have come second and third, respectively, at every Asian Games since 1998, have each sent around 760 athletes.

Although Japan has set a target of 30 gold medals for the Tokyo Olympics, almost double the national record, sports bosses have declined to name a target for the Asian Games in Indonesia. In the 2014 games, held in Incheon, South Korea, Japan won 47 of the 439 gold medals up for grabs.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)