The elementary students, holding Indonesia`s Red and White flags in their hands, lined up along the roads from Lombok Airport to Sasak Sade Village while welcoming the flame of the Asian Games, which is held every four years.
"I am very happy to be able to participate in welcoming the torch," Adji, one of the elementary students from Pujut, Central Lombok, stated.
The delegation, bringing the torch from Denpasar to Lombok, arrived at the Lombok airport at 7:45 a.m. local time.
On the previous day, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya had remarked that as the host of the upcoming Asian Games, Indonesia was utilizing the largest multi-sport event in Asia to promote its tourist destinations, particularly in Jakarta and Palembang, the two cities that will co-host the event.
The Asian Games is not just a sporting event but also an opportunity to conduct tourism promotion, the minister noted in Denpasar, Bali, on Tuesday.
Hence, the Asian Games torch relay in Bali covered several tourist attractions, such as the Subak Sembung eco-tourism destination, Bajra Sandhi monument in Renon, and Garuda Wisno Kencana in Nusa Dua, as well as Tampaksiring Palace.
The nation is proud to be the host of the 18th Asian Games and is optimistic of its athletes delivering their best to win medals in the Asian Games.
The Asian Games torch relay tours 53 cities and districts in 18 Indonesian provinces, covering a total distance of over 18 thousand kilometers.
The torch relay began in Yogyakarta on July 17, and will end on Aug 17 in Jakarta, a day before the Asian Games 2018 to be officially opened by President Joko Widodo.
The torch`s route includes Solo, Central Java Province; Blitar, Malang, Probolinggo, and Banyuwangi in East Java; Gilimanuk, Kuta, and Denpasar in Bali Province; Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara; Raja Ampat and Sorong in West Papua; Makassar in South Sulawesi; Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan; Banda Aceh in Aceh Province; Lake Toba in North Sumatra; Pekanbaru in Riau; Bukit Tinggi in West Sumatra; Jambi, Palembang, Banyuasin, and Prabumulih in South Sumatra; Bandar Lampung in Lampung; Serang in Banten; and Purwakarta, Bandung, Garut, Cianjur, and Bogor in West Java Province, among others.
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
