JAKARTA: Indonesia’s preparations for this year’s Asian Games received a thumbs-up from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Monday following a two-day inspection of facilities for the first staging of the event across two cities. The OCA Coordination Committee visited the Sumatran city of Palembang on Saturday and then the capital Jakarta, which last hosted the Games in 1962, a day later. “We have discussed in detail the progress of the 18th Asian Games and we are very satisfied with what we have seen in both Palembang and Jakarta,” Coordination Committee chairman Tsunekazu Takeda said in a statement. “We have emphasised that we are in operational and implementation mode and that the planning phase is over,” the Japanese Olympic Committee president added. Around 10,000 athletes from the OCA’s 45 member nations are expected to compete across 40 sports at the Aug. 18-Sept. 2 Games. The Jakabaring Sports City in Palembang, which hosted the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2011, will host 11 of the sports. The newly refurbished Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta will host, among others, the opening and closing ceremonies. Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno promised the visiting committee an efficient transport management plan during the Games. Published in Daily Times, January 16th 2018.