Jakarta — The Asian Games may be this part of the world’s own, “little” version of the Olympics.
But to use the word little would be unfair to these games as there is nothing scant and meager in the Asiad, especially if we’re to talk about the budget needed to host this multi-sport spectacle.
As a matter of fact, the event’s latest edition, the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, boast of what went down in history as the most expensive opening ever with a budget of IDR 700 billion (P26 million) and a cast of 10 thousand performers.
“The stage prepared by, Insya Allah is the biggest stage ever in the world, even compared to the Olympic opening ceremony everywhere,” said Wishnutama, creative director for the opening ceremony and closing of the 2018 Asian Games, during a press conference at the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee office, Senayan, Central Jakarta.
That’s just for the opening and closing.
INASGOC’s total expenditure for the games, which currently host 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries, shot up to more than $3 billion, with the government projecting that it will produce immediate and long-term benefits for the country.
That is almost double than the $1.6 billion budget used by Incheon, Korea in staging the 17th, 2014 edition of the games, but still peanuts compared to the $18.37 billion spent by Guangzhou for the hosting of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games in 2010. The 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar had a budget of $2 billion.
Even the price of the tickets in the Indonesia Games is too steep for this booming Southeast Asian country that Vice Governor Santiago Uno was surprised at how expensive the tickets are, ranging from the Category A, which costs IDR5 million (P19,000) as the most expensive; Category B, which costs IDR1.5 million (P5,500); and Category C, which costs IDR750K (P2,780) as the cheapest.
“We’ll check if the IDR1.5 million price is for VIPs, while the upper tiers can be cheaper,” Uno said. “One of the things we focused on was eliminating taxes on tickets so that they are more affordable.”
One participant, who definitely could afford the tickets is Michael Bambang Hartono, the 78-year-old billionaire tobacco tycoon, who may not be the oldest competitor at the Asian Games, but the richest.
Hartono, head of cigarette giant Djarum Group, is representing the hosts on their bridge team at the world’s second-biggest multi-sport event.
Hartono, along with brother Robert, was named Indonesia’s richest man by Forbes magazine, which also ranked him the 75th wealthiest man in the world, with a net worth of $16.7 billion and business interests ranging from tobacco, banking and communications.
If he wins, he said he’ll forego the 1.5 billion rupiah (US$102,000) cash prize that the Indonesia’s government gives to top medallists.
Incentives for the games vary from nation to nation.
In the Philippines, a gold medalist stands to get as much as P5 million ($98,000), which is double than what a gold winner in Hong Kong would receive.
Still, the bonuses from the former British colony isn’t something to belittle as HK’s athletes in the previous Asian Games in Incheon, Korea returned with six gold, 12 silver and 25 bronze medals and pocketed HK$9.5 million (US$1.2M). Previous to those games, the incentives totaled HK$10.3 million.
Foreign Affairs Sec. Cayetano on Sunday revealed that the Philippines also intends to bid for the hosting of the 2030 Asian Games.
Cayetano, also the Organizing Committee Chairman of the 2019 Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, said they were encouraged by the support of Erick Thohir, the businessman who chairs the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee as the latter brought up the idea of the Philippines hosting the 2030 Asiad.
Can the Philippines, which used to be known as the “Sick Man of Asia,” afford a P160-billion project called the Asian Games?
We can’t, but we will. After all, we are just crazy unrich Asians.