Let the games begin

MANILA, Philippines — Amidst rows of plants seen only in the wilderness and a vast garden of native flowers glistening in the sun at the foot of towering mountains yonder, beautiful lasses from various regions of the world’s fourth most populous country welcomed friends from 40 countries to a night of fun and revelry at the 80,000 seat GBK Stadium in Jakarta.

In a beautifully-choreographed presentation, 4,000 performers sprouted row by row like millions of budding flowers from the vegetation, bringing to life a rich, fertile land, a vast wilderness which forms a huge hectarage the world’s seventh largest country with a predominantly Muslim population of over 261 million.

The 272-strong Philippine athletic contingent, led by Fil-American Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, joined the march-past in their traditional barongs minus the volleyball, fencing and bowling teams which retired to their quarters early to get enough sleep for today’s start of hostilities.

Hiding his identity behind a tinted helmet, Indonesian president Indonesian president Joko Widodo led a motorcycle parade through the streets of Jakarta and himself squeezed his way through heavy traffic before arriving to cheering fans at the state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Jakarta.

Athletes, from the new members from Central Asia, the Middle East, and East and Southeast Asia will be competing in 39 sports and 67 disciplines consisting of 27 Olympics sports, four new and eight non Olympic.

For size, the Asian Games are enormous. They feature about 11,500 athletes, which is about 1,000 more than a typical Summer Olympics.

For diversity, they offer many sports that are unseen at the Olympics but native to Asia. How about the Indian sport of kabaddi, or kurash, a traditional martial art from Uzbekistan, or pencak silat, an Indonesian martial art?

Esports will also get a look as a demonstration sport, and jet ski is on the schedule

The games, which opened Saturday and run through Sept. 2, also showcase sports climbing and skateboarding, two events being added to the schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

And – get ready for this – there’s competition in contract bridge, which should attract a slightly older demographic than gymnastics or swimming. The oldest card player is reported to be 81.

“We have really worked hard to prepare this,’’ Eris Herryanto, the secretary general of the local organizing committee, told The Associated Press. “I think we are ready.’’

Jakarta has had less than the normal amount of time to prepare. It was selected four years ago after Vietnam, the original host, pulled out because of financial problems. There are sure to be problems as Indonesia tries to show it could hold even larger events. But there’s also gratitude from the Olympic Council of Asia – which oversees sports in the region – for stepping in.

Jakarta is famous for some of the world’s worst traffic jams, with a river of swerving motorbikes trying to beat the congestion. Getting athletes to venues on time is sure to be challenging. Some schools along transportation routes have been closed, and the city is also using an odd-even license plate scheme to reduce traffic.

But no one is being asked to stay home. Just the opposite.

“We are asking that people come to see the Asian Games, but please come to see them using public transportation,’’ Herryanto said, calling this a chance to change habits and a possible “legacy’’ of the quadrennial event.

Security will be heavy. Organizers say 100,000 police and military will be on guard with another 100,000 in reserve.

Indonesia is certainly large enough to think of itself as an Olympic country. With 260 million people, it’s the world’s fourth-most populous nation after China, India and the United States. It’s comprised of about 13,500 islands – the government says 922 are permanently occupied – that stretch about 5,100 kilometers (3,200 miles), which is greater than the distance from east to west in the continental United States.

Despite its quirky qualities, the Asian Games are also a serious proving ground for powerful teams from China, Japan and South Korea, and a chance for smaller nations to win medals that are out of reach at the Olympics. – With AP