Kalla, in his capacity as chairman of the Advisory Council of Inasgoc (Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee) left his residence at 7:30 a.m. local time for Chandrabhaga Patriot Stadium in Bekasi, West Java.
From Bekasi, Kalla was scheduled to visit Rawamangun Velodrome which is the venue for cycling, and later to Ancol, North Jakarta, to check preparations for jet sky competition.
Kalla was accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono.
The 18th Asian Games, a regional sporting event for Asian nations, will be co-hosted by Palembang and Jakarta simultaneously from August 18 to September 2, 2018.
Thousands of athletes from 54 countries are expected to participate in the games.
This will be the second time that Indonesia will host the Asian Games, with the first one being held in Jakarta in 1962, under President Soekarno.
The Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee siad here on Monday that the torch relay will start on July 15 and pass through 53 cities and districts in the country, the chief Erick Thohir stated.
"The torch relay is aimed at introducing the 18th Asian Games to people in the country, so they will support this multi-sport event," Thohir noted during a meeting with the Home Affairs Ministry in Jakarta, Monday.
The committee chairman revealed that the torch will first be lit at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, the first host of the Asian Games in 1951.
The flame of the Asian Games torch is directly lit by the rays of the sun that get reflected through a parabolic mirror. After being launched in India, the torch will be transported to the Mrapen eternal flame in Grobogan, Central Java, on July 18.
Reporter: Fransiska Ninditya
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
