Jakarta, Indonesia, March 11, 2020: The Indonesian Olympic Committee has thrown its full support behind the aim of the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 to hold the Olympic Games as scheduled this summer, despite the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesia NOC President Raja Sapta “Okto” Oktohari has sent a letter to both the Japanese and Chinese NOCs regarding the current situation of the coronavirus outbreak, which has affected both countries.
Okto said his organisation had offered any support that Japan might need to overcome the difficulty of organising the event, which is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9.
“We are offering any assistance to and support for our friend Japan, which has been working hard to stage the Tokyo Olympics,” he said on the sidelines of Indonesia’s annual NOC meeting in Jakarta.
Indonesia’s full support of Japan in staging the Olympics may also aid the country’s mission to win its bid for the 2032 Olympics, following the successful hosting of the OCA’s 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang in 2018.
Indonesia NOC plans to use the Tokyo Games to showcase the country’s readiness to host the Olympics by establishing Rumah Indonesia (House of Indonesia) to promote the country and garner support from other Olympic participants.
Rumah Indonesia is projected to cost Rp 200 billion (US$13.8 million). The house will be built in a strategic location inside the athletes’ villages in Tokyo.
Indonesia’s Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Rosan Roeslani, said the coronavirus outbreak had caused him to postpone a planned visit to Japan in March to conduct a survey. “Our preparation is still ongoing. We will keep communicating with the IOC,” he said.
Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said that his ministry would wait for the IOC or the decisions of other world authorities on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. He said Indonesia would obey any final recommendation issued regarding the Olympics.