(ATR) The Olympic Council of Asia says Indonesia "achieved a great deal" in its protracted preparations for the Asian Games.
The 2018 Asian Games begin in exactly one month, and will be the second edition held in Indonesia. The country was awarded the Games in 2014 to the cities of Jakarta and Palembang after Hanoi, Vietnam withdrew from hosting. The Asian Games were originally supposed to be held in 2019, but were moved up a year to avoid conflict with the Indonesian presidential election, diminishing preparation times further.
A number of key infrastructure projects were accelerated to accommodate the Games including a light rail system in Palembang connecting airports to Games venues. Flights from Jakarta to Palembang take around 90 minutes, complicating some logistics.
The Games will host 11,500 athletes from 45 Asian National Olympic Committees the OCA said in a release. An event larger than the Olympics, athletes will compete in 40 sports with 67 disciplines.
For the first time a joint Korean team will compete in an Asian Games. The Koreas will combine in women’s basketball, canoeing, and rowing.
"On behalf of the Asian NOC family, I would like to thank the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, the Indonesian Vice-President and Chair of the Asian Games Steering Committee, Jusuf Kalla, and the President of the Indonesia Olympic Committee and Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC), Erick Thohir, for their dedication and commitment to staging a world-class Asian Games," Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, OCA President, said in a statement.
"Indonesia has done an excellent job in preparing for the Games and achieved a great deal in a short space of time. I would also like to thank all the NOCs and athletes for their participation and vital support – without them there is no Games – as well as the partners, sponsors, TV rights holders and national and international media who all contribute to the success of the Games."
Squash Athletes Join for Brainstorming Sessions
The World Squash Federation and Professional Squash Association started SquashFORWARD, a joint program for young athletes to give feedback to the federations.
Amsterdam held the first session this week during the Dutch Junior Open. Conversation centered around inclusion and innovation. SquashFORWARD will consider these discussions in efforts to grow the sport.
Squash is focused on youth involvement. Some of the athletes in the program will compete in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires later this year, where squash is a showcase sport.
WSF president Jacques Fontainesaid in a statement,"As the IOC Executive Board members gather in Lausanne this week to discuss key topics that will determine the future of the Olympic Movement, including the Paris 2024 program, we are excited to witness the future of our own sport being shaped by young players from across the world. The SquashFORWARD initiative will no doubt contribute to enhancing squash's profile as we bid for inclusion on the Olympic program."
The results of the activity will be revealed in Buenos Aires during the Games.
Standup Paddle Heads to Arbitration
The final say over which federation has the right to organize standup paddle events will be decided by an arbitration panel in CAS.
Both the International Surfing Association and International Canoe Federation have claimed governance of standup paddle. The dispute between the federations began in 2016. Attempts to solve the issue through first dialogue and then mediation through the Court of Arbitration for Sport have both failed.
The ISA said on Wednesday that after these attempts it has formally opened up the arbitration process within CAS.
"Since we were regrettably unsuccessful in our efforts to find a solution through CAS Mediation, the ISA has now submitted the necessary documents to CAS to begin the Arbitration procedure," Fernando Aguerre, ISA President, said in a statement.
"Ultimately, the athletes are the most important aspect of any sport, and we will continue to do all we can to serve their best interests. We believe that ending the current dispute through CAS is a sensible way forward and we hope to proceed swiftly to a resolution, for the good of the StandUp Paddle community."
Both federations are keen to solve the dispute given that an expanded surfing program could appear on the Paris 2024 Olympic program. Standup paddle is aiming to be included in such a program.
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Written by Aaron Bauer andJeffrey Farek
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