Gelora Bung Karno to Be Ready Before 2018 Asian Games: Jokowi
Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inspected renovation work on Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno sports complex on Friday (02/12) and said it should be completed in November next year, ahead of the 2018 Asian Games.
The president paid a visit to Indonesia's first sporting complex as it also prepares new stadiums in Palembang, South Sumatra, and Jakarta, which were selected by the Olympic Council of Asia to co-host the Games.
The Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee chose the GBK — built in 1962 by President Sukarno for the first Asian Games held in Indonesia — and the Jakabaring sports complex in Palembang as the main venues for the event.
"We're revamping the whole of GBK with a budget of Rp 3.5 trillion ($259 million); we expect the work to be completed in November 2017," Jokowi said, as quoted by the Sports Ministry's website.
After the renovation, which is being overseen by the Ministry of Public Works, the GBK will have a larger swimming venue and a new baseball pitch in place of the old tennis stadium.
"The new GBK will meet all environmental standards and will have larger green areas," Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said.
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