Indonesia ready to host 2018 Asian Para Games

JAKARTA, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- After the conclusion of the 2018 Asian Games, Indonesia is set to hold the 2018 Asian Paralympic Games, from Oct 6 to 13 in Jakarta, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

The torch relay started on Wednesday in Solo and will pass through major cities in the nation's eastern and western provinces.

The Indonesia Asian Para Games Organising Committee (INAPGOC) stated earlier that over 2,800 athletes and 1,800 officials from 41 countries and regions will participate in the games.

The majority of the event will take place in Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) and in a velodrome in the eastern part of the city.

The theme for the Games will be "Energy of Asia". The logo for the 2018 Asian Para Games will represent the harmony and balance in Asia, the organisers said.

"The logo is circular with the image of a man at the center of it, circled by three curves with different colors, depicting the diversity of Asia still moving together in harmony to attain common goals," the head of the Indonesian Asian Para Games Organising Committee (INAPGOC) Raja Sapta Oktohari,  said here recently.

'Momo' will be the mascot for the event.

"Momo stands for Motivation and Mobility, suggesting athletes should continue moving forward, adapting themselves in developing situations," Raja added.

To further promote 2018 Asian Para Games, the Indonesia Tourism Ministry pledged to support the event by urging athletes to be active on social media.

Indonesia won the Southeast Asia (SEA) Para Games in Malaysia last year as its athletes won 117 gold medals, 69 silver and 46 bronze medals to top the medal tally.

Indonesia received good commendations from the heads of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and the Olympics Council of Asia (OCA) for its success in organising the Asian Games and its achievements in the Asiad held in Jakarta and Palembang.

IOC President Thomas Bach said that Indonesia proved capable of working efficiently to hold the international event. In the 2018 Asian Games, Indonesia seized 31 gold, 24 silver and 43 bronze medals, placing it fourth on the medals table.

-- BERNAMA