Both Jakarta, Palembang To Officially Host 2018 Asian Games

In 2018, for the first time in history, two cities will host the Asian Games, the multi-sport competition held every four years. Both Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, as well as Palembang, located in south Sumatra, will both host sporting events, which see participants from 46 Asian countries, from August 18 – September 2, 2018.

Jakarta, Indonesia’s largest city, is located on the island of Java, while Palembang is approximately 270 miles away, which translates to a 5-hour car ride or about an hour by plane. Although it has been known since the outset that both cities would be housing some of the event’s venues, the Games will now officially be known as the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games 2018.

At this point it is unclear exactly which sporting events will take place in which city, but it is currently thought that 11 sports during the Asian Games itself will take place in Palembang.   But, the dual-city hosting agreement was reportedly made on the condition that both the Opening and Closing Ceremony and the main Athletes’ Village would reside in Jakarta.

Jakarta is already hosting the 2017 Youth Games, which will now serve as a test event for the larger ‘senior’ version. Hanoi, Vietnam was the original host slated for the 2018 Asian Games, but had to withdraw their bid due to financial and economic difficulties.