(ATR)Indonesia, host of the first Asian Beach Games, claimed the first gold medal of the 17-sport event in Bali before going on to win another five. The Oct. 18-26 competition is taking place in four different venue clusters.
Of the 19 medals awarded so far, Indonesia has won all six golds, making it a clean sweep.
Indonesia claimed its first gold in the men's ‘tunggal’ final in beach pencak silat, an adaptation of a martial art form that has its origins in Indonesia. They snagged another gold in the same sport, the women's ‘ganda’ final.
Other wins included the men's and women's 1000-meter dragon boat racing, the team accuracy event in paragliding and the men's shortboard surfing event.
Aside from its strong performance in the sporting arena at the Games, there is a lot more at stake for the host nation.
Since hosting the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia has been routinely overlooked in bids for sporting events, largely due to a poor sports infrastructure, lack of organizational skills and security issues.
The attendance of IOC President Jacques Rogge and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Opening Ceremony also indicates the importance of the Games to both the Olympic Movement and the nation's role in the Asian sporting community.
“The nation's image is at stake,” the Jakarta Post said in an editorial.
“Any harm done, whether in the form of poor infrastructure or lax security, will cancel out the work of the organizers and government in their bid to show the world that our nation is well-qualified for hosting a major sports event.”
While most of the Games organization appears to be of a reasonable standard, there have been problems including delays in putting the finishing touches on some temporary venues. There is also disorganization in accreditation of those involved in the Games, sparse turnout at some events and lack of focus in communicating Games information.
But much of this has taken place in Dragon Boating is a popular sport at the Asian Games. (Getty Images)the context of staging the first event of its type and the unique challenges that stem from using beaches and temporary structures as venues.
There have been some financial problems as well. Games organizers had some eleventh-hour help after the Indonesian government injected $5 million last week to save the event from financial turmoil.
Additionally, organizers acknowledged the need for tighter security to avoid any incident that could scare tourists. The island is recovering from terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005 which killed around 220 and devastated the tourism industry.
Recognizing the massive setback for the island, the Olympic Council of Asia awarded Indonesia the inaugural Games without a bidding process.
“We are hoping that the Asian Beach Games can help further revive the situation in Bali,” said Rita Subowo, president of the Indonesian National Olympic Committee.
“So we are really grateful that OCA is giving us this great opportunity. That’s why we have to make the best out of this trust that they’ve given us.” Men's shortboard Surfing at 1st Asian Games. (Getty Images)
While there is an obvious increase in security presence across Bali for the Games, security checks on spectators and others attending events have been notably non-intrusive with personnel showing more common sense than their counterparts during the Beijing Olympics.
Despite these restrictions, there appears to be a carnival atmosphere at Games venues, assisted by the hospitable style of the locals and their enthusiasm for many of the events on the roster.
Written by Anthony Stavrinos
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