REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, INCHEON -- The general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia' (OCA) has announced that Indonesia will be the host of the 2018 Asian Games.

"It just has officially agreed that Indonesia will be the host of the 2018 Asian Games," said the Chairwoman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (IOC), Rita Subowo, to the press, following the OCA general Assembly meeting in Incheon, South Korea, on Saturday.

During the assembly, Rita explained that Indonesia was supported by 42 countries, out of 45 Asian Games participant countries.

"There are 42 countries who support us, and the chairman of OCA said in his remarks that Indonesia is ready and accepted by the congress to be the host of the 2018 Asian Games," she noted.

According to Rita, the most supportive country was China, which also offered Indonesian athletes the opportunity to practice in their country, which hosted the Asian Games in 1990 and 2010.

In her remarks after the official announcement, Rita emphasized that three provinces of Indonesia: Jakarta, South Sumatera and West Java, were ready to hold the annual Asian sports event.

The Indonesian delegation also screened a video of President Susilo Yudhoyono, who offered his support for the Asian Games, as well as a video about the preparations by three provinces as they seek to host the event in 2018.

As one of the bidding participants, Indonesia received the green light as the host of the 2018 Asian Games after Vietnam resigned as the elected host.

Interviewed separately, Jakarta Capital Region's Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama "Ahok", who also attended the assembly in Incheon, said Jakarta had decided to complete the development of all projects to be used for the Asian Games 2018.

"All projects must be finished, the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), resident relocations from slum areas, restoration of river banks, and so on. Everything will be done within four years," Ahok stressed.

But, Ahok denied that he would establish an athletes' village in Jakarta.

"Instead of an athletes' village for the Asian Games, we will build apartments which can be used after the event, when they will be sold to public," he said.

Also in Incheon, South Sumatera Governor Alex Nurdin said Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatera, was ready to host the 2018 Asian Games.

"We already have some venues that were used as locations for the 2011 SEA (South East Asian) Games, and their conditions are still proper for use for the games," Alex noted.

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