JAKARTA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The head of the Indonesia Asian Games organizing committee, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, said that the nation is ready to open the 18th Asian Games within 100 days as all the venues were on schedule.
Yusuf's statement was issued in the last Asian Games Coordination Committee meeting held in a Jakarta's hotel recently.
"Our preparations were running well. 100 days from now we are ready to open the Asian Games," the vice president said.
Jusuf said that the remaining projects to settle the venues were on schedule, including the velodrome for cycling sports, which he said was to be completed by June.
He admitted that transportation for athletes from their hotels to the sports venues would likely become a problem considering the severe traffic in the capital city.
"We would create a particular transportation management mechanism to address this issue so as to comply with transportation time targets in Asian Games," Jusuf added.
In separate statement, Iwan Suptijanto, an official at Housing and Public Works Ministry, said that currently 93 percent of venues and supporting infrastructure had been completed, and should be totally ready by June.
He added that all of those venue renovations and constructions were referred to international requirements of each sport so as to comfort the athletes, officials, spectators and media covering the matches.
"All of those venues will be certified (by related sports organizations)," he said.
Meanwhile, responding to the sports event preparation, Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that his ministry would take part in the efforts to intensify promotion of the 18th Asian Games, saying that the promotion would be featured in each of the ministry's international events.
"We have to ensure the success of Asian Games both in sports achievements and in economic aspects. The upcoming sports event will bring great momentum to foreign tourism," he said.
The 18th Asiad, themed "Energy of Asia," is scheduled from August 18 to September 2 in the two Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
Indonesia is expected to receive more than 270,000 visitors from Asian countries and regions during the sports event, most of them supporters from each country and region vying in upcoming Asiad.
Over 11,000 Asian athletes from 45 countries and regions are scheduled to vie in 41 sports in the event. The upcoming Asiad will be the second time for Indonesia to host the event, the first time in 1962.
