Indonesia has made good on its promise last year to bid for the 2032 Olympic Games, submitting a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirming its intentions.
The letter signed by President Joko Widodo was delivered to IOC President Thomas Bach at headquarters in Lausanne by Indonesia’s Ambassador to Switzerland Muliaman Hadad on February 11, according to a Antara News.
Widodo first talked up a bid last August following the successful Asian Games in Jakarta that were delivered with few complaints.
Hadad met with IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi who, according to the news report, was positive about the bid and promised to keep Indonesian officials “informed” as the bid process develops.
Hadad said “The IOC has recognized Indonesia’s capability while organizing the 2018 Asian Games and Para Games that were successful.”
“I think this is quite a strong foundation.”
Last year in at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics Dubi said discussions with at least one city interested in hosting the 2032 Games had already been held, and that the dialogue stage of the bid process had already informally begun. Over the past year others cities have also come forward with expressions of interest, creating a sense of urgency 13 years ahead of the Games.
Indonesia’s President Confirms Nation’s Bid To Host 2032 Olympic Games
But the IOC stepped back last week when officials from North and South Korea met with them in Lasuanne to discuss an intended joint bid between the two nations on the peninsula. Bach said he supports the unlikely twosome in the historic efforts but a later IOC statement said that the bid process had not yet started, underlining that official discussions would be held when all interested National Olympic Committees are involved.
Several other cities and countries have already expressed interest in bidding for the 2032 Games including Shanghai in China, Brisbane in Australia, Buenos Aires in Argentina, as well as India, Germany and Russia. The IOC won’t officially open the race until 2023 with a host city expected to be elected in 2025.
Paris has already been chosen to host the 2024 Games and Los Angeles is readying for 2028 after the IOC named both cities in a single double-allocation vote in 2017. Tokyo will host the Games next year.
