Close

Indonesia’s President Orders Formation Of 2032 Olympic Bid Committee

Indonesia is one step closer to the formalization of its bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games in Jakarta after President Joko Widodo instructed officials to form a bid committee.

Indonesia Olympic Committee Chair Raja Sapta Oktohari (Oktohari/Instagram)
Indonesia Olympic Committee Chair Raja Sapta Oktohari (Oktohari/Instagram)

After a cabinet meeting Wednesday Indonesia’s Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali told Antara News “the president has instructed, first, to prepare a special committee for our bidding to host the 2032 Olympic Games and secondly to prepare the budget.”

Widodo has also called on Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) chief Raja Sapta Oktohari to prepare for the next stage of bidding for the Games.

Oktohari confirmed that the president will travel to International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters to promote the bid.

“We urge the president to visit the IOC office in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the president agrees that this will greatly assist our nomination process as host of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics,” Oktohari said.

“Indonesia has the edge and confidence to compete with other countries, with its stable weather and conducive temperature, security, hospitality, culinary arts, and beauty that will become the primary consideration.”

The Indonesian President first launched the idea of an Olympic bid in 2018 following the successful hosting of the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.  Widodo sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach expressing his interest in entering the race.

But government officials paused bid activities earlier this year with the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and the necessary emergency lockdowns.

On Wednesday Widodo announced that the bid would be used to help boost the nation’s image, he said “this is because we have to make this candidacy a momentum to organize ourselves and to improve various aspects that have been lacking so far.”

Opening Ceremony at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games (OCA Photo)
Opening Ceremony at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games (OCA Photo)

“We have successfully organized the Asian Games and Asian Para Games in 2018.

“This raises confidence and improves the world’s perception that Indonesia is capable of being a good host in international events,” he said.

There is no set deadline for the election of the host of the 2032 Games.  The traditional vote seven-years in advance of the Games was eliminated when the IOC reformed the bid process last year.  Now, an IOC host commission can recommend a bid for approval by the Executive Board and membership as it sees fit.

Oktohari told reporters he believes the bidding process will run in 2023, with a winner declared in 2024.

Indonesia will join a quickly-growing field of bids already being considered from South-east Queensland in Australia, Germany, Qatar, India and jointly between North and South Korea.

Indonesian Government Urged To Support Jakarta 2032 Olympic Bid As Qatar Enters Fierce Race

Prior to the pandemic, Australia was considered the frontrunner due to the bid’s early organization and firm multi-level government backing.  Also on-hold due to lockdowns, the Brisbane-centered bid reemerged this week when supporting state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was decisively reelected and began steps to move the project forward.

The Tokyo 2020 Games have been delayed until July 2021 amid the pandemic and Paris is set to host the subsequent edition in 2024.  Los Angeles will host in 2028.

A senior producer and award-winning journalist covering Olympic bid business as founder of GamesBids.com as well as providing freelance support for print and Web publications around the world. Robert Livingstone is a member of the Olympic Journalists Association and the International Society of Olympic Historians.

scroll to top