by Abu Hanifah
JAKARTA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is now busily renovating infrastructure, facilities and accommodations for the athletes to contend in the upcoming 2018 Asian Games (Asiad), officials say.
The Indonesian government is also actively training national athletes to stimulate their potential.
Two Indonesian cities, Jakarta and capital of South Sumatra province Palembang, will host the Asiad slated for Aug. 18 to Sept. 2 next year.
It would be Indonesia's second time after the one in 1962 to host the world's second largest sport event after the Olympics.
Related ministers have assured that all projects are on schedule.
"All the things related to the event organizing, athletes' performance and sports infrastructures for Asiad were on the track," Coordinating Minister for Cultural and Human Development Affairs Puan Maharani said on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting to discuss Asiad preparedness on Tuesday.
The meeting also discussed the opening and closing ceremonies.
As renovations in all sport venues and athletes' accommodations located in Jakarta and South Sumatra province are nearly completed, Indonesia's Public Works and People Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono assured that all of them would be ready in February next year.
"I am very optimistic that all of renovation works in the landmark stadium of Bung Karno would be done parallel with the works in Palembang for the test event week in February," the minister said.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said recently that his administration has been actively taking part in renovations of venues in the capital city with 10 sport halls having been prepared to accommodate athletes.
Besides that, construction of an integrated transport system of Light Rail Transit (LRT) is underway in the city, and will be completed in early August next year.
Indonesian Asiad organizer INASGOC has set the test event to try the renovated venues in the two cities from Feb. 10-18 next year in archery, badminton, athletic, basketball, football, boxing, martial arts, taekwondo, volley ball and weight lifting sports.
INASGOC Chairman Erick Thohir previously said the 2018 Asian Games would vie a total of 40 sports divided in 462 sports' sub-groups.
Indonesia has set a target to be among the 10 best countries to secure gold medals in the Asian sports event held once every four years.
The nation has kicked off countdown for the 2018 Asian Games from Aug. 18, initiated by President Joko Widodo.
