Jakarta invites world athletes

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration looks set to organize an international sports event to highlight the city's 477th anniversary next June, inviting athletes from sister cities.

"We have invited representatives from our sister city administrations ... but are still waiting to hear which cities are confirmed to participate in the tournament," Governor Sutiyoso said at City Hall.

The sister-city invitees are from Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Los Angeles and New South Wales.

The tournament will be part of a month-long celebration of the capital's anniversary, which falls on June 22.

The tournament, according to Sutiyoso, will consist of a basketball tournament and a 10-kilometer (km) run.

"We shall also invite internationally acclaimed runners, the world's 12 best, to take part in the 10-km run," he said.

The basketball tournament will be organized by the Jakarta Youth and Sports Agency and will be held at several basketball courts in the city, including the controversial Kelapa Gading sports center.

The newly built sports center in North Jakarta sparked protest from residents and urban activists as it was built on public space that was meant to function as a water catchment.

City spokesman Muhayat added the unprecedented championship was part of efforts to promote Jakarta abroad.

The idea of holding an international sporting event, according to Muhayat, came up in previous meetings between leaders of the sister cities.

"Sports was suggested as a way of strengthening ties between the cities.

"Basketball is often proposed as the sport as it is popular in each of the cities," he said.

If basketball was meant to unite the sister cities, then the 10-km race was designed to attract Jakartans to participate in the event, he added.