The Asian Games is one of the biggest celebrations of international relations with the Asian community. Indonesia`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi previously stated that Indonesia can take advantage of the world`s second largest sports convention as a means to contribute to achieving world peace and strengthening partnership between countries.
"Besides being the host of the sports competition event in Asia, Indonesia could receive appreciation, as the Asian Games also contributed to the strengthening of bond between South Korea and North Korea," she noted.
She also stated that before the opening of the Asian Games, on Aug 14, during a meeting with President Joko Widodo, the Prime Minister of South Korea and Deputy Prime Minister of North Korea expressed their appreciation towards Indonesia for its consistent efforts in promoting peace, stability, and denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula.
As a nation, Indonesia should be proud for its tangible contribution to promote international peace and friendly relations. It is surely something Indonesians can look back on and be proud of.
Furthermore, it appeared that the 2018 Asian Games not only promotes peace and sense of togetherness in the international community but also in Indonesia as a nation.
Being chosen to host the 2018 Asian Games undoubtedly means a lot more than merely providing venues for the competitions to take place. It also serves as an opportunity for Indonesia to further promote its extensively diverse culture and heritage as well as tourism destinations.
During the opening ceremony held on Aug 18, Indonesia had shown its history as a maritime country, from the period of Sriwijaya Kingdom to Majapahit, through the colossal dance performance carried out by thousands of dancers, in which one of the segments exhibited the richness of Indonesian marine resources.
According to the Indonesia Asian Games 2018 Organizing Committee (INASGOC) record, there were around 3.6thousand dancers from all 34 provinces involved in the opening of the biggest multi-sports event in Asia.
One of the choreographers of the dance performance, Denny Malik, remarked that Indonesia is rich in great art dances that other countries do not have and which are worth displaying for the opening of the Asian Games.
"We have world-class art and cultural shows that all countries can enjoy and are not outdated," he stated.
The opening ceremony successfully wowed its audience, whether they watched it from home or in the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.
The bewitching opening event has captured people`s eyes and hearts and led them to paying close attention towards the Games.
Now with only few more days left for the 2018 Asian Games to conclude, the closing ceremony is even more eagerly anticipated, as it will be the conclusion to such lively sports competition, which is held from Aug 18 to Sept 2.
However, Creative Director of the 2018 Asian Games ceremonies Wishnutama explained that the closing ceremony will carry a more modest atmosphere compared to the opening event.
Rather than bearing the `colossal` theme, similar to the opening, the closing ceremony will be more of a celebration and appreciation towards the athletes who have participated in the competitions, he revealed.
Although the event will be held in the same venue, the preparation takes much lesser time. The stage will be constructed just one day before the ceremony itself, unlike the opening event`s stage preparation, which took four months to put together.
Furthermore, Wishnutama noted that it will also highlight the cultures of Asian countries, rather than exclusively Indonesia`s, by featuring artists from China, Korea, and India.
Meanwhile, music director Ronald Steven said that the event will be held in a concert-like manner, as it is more modern and focused on the music itself.
There will only be one dance segment, and it will be when the Asian Games flame is being put out, he added.
The artists who are scheduled to perform include Sidharth Slathia, which will be performing the theme song `Reaching for the Stars` or `Meraih Bintang,` Super Junior and iKon from South Korea, as well as Indonesia`s own Isyana Sarasvati, Dira Sugandi, RAN, and Bunga Citra Lestari.
Although the closing ceremony will be carried out more modestly, Wishnutama ensured that it will still be an entertaining show that the audience would not want to miss.
The enthusiasm from Indonesians is still very high towards the event, which is shown from the tickets that have been sold out through a number of ticket sales third parties such as blibli.com.
Reporter: Aria Cindyara
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
