Are you ready, Asia? On 18 August – 2 September 2018, the 2018 Asian Games, or the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta Palembang 2018, will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia! For the first time, the Asian Games are being co-hosted in two cities; Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, and Palembang, the capital of the South Sumatra province. Also, eSports and canoe polo will be contested as a demonstration sports in the Asian Games.

Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The first Asian Games was held in New Delhi, India, on 1951. Today it is organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Asian Games are described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

The torch relay for the 2018 Asian Games began at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, host of the 1st Asian Games, on 15 July 2018. On 18 July 2018, a ceremony took place in Brahma field by the 9th century Hindu temple of Prambanan near Yogyakarta, where the torch’s flame from India were fused together with an Indonesian natural eternal flame taken from Mrapen, Central Java. The relay then continued to travel through 54 cities, 18 provinces in Indonesia, including host cities. The relay will finish on 17 August, the 73rd anniversary of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in the National Monument, Jakarta before being carried into the opening ceremony at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium the next day.

The 2018 Asian Games will feature 462 events in 40 sports as the second-largest program in Asian Games history. Its motto is “Energy of Asia”, and its mascots are Bhin Bhin—a greater bird-of-paradise, Atung—a Bawean deer, and Kaka—a Javan rhinoceros. They represents the Eastern, Central, and Western regions of Indonesia and also strategy, speed and strength respectively. The names of the mascot are derived from Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, the official national motto of Indonesia. The phrase is Old Javanese translated as “Unity in Diversity” (Out of many, one).

If you are in Jakarta or Palembang during the 2018 Asian Games, make sure to attend the opening ceremony at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta, or watch the events live at one of 2018 Asian Games venues! If you could not be in Indonesia directly, you could still share the 2018 Asian Games spirit by watching the events when they are aired by your television station.

Adorageek encourages all of the athletes who are participating in the 2018 Asian Games to compete with their best strategies, speed and strength, just like Bhin Bhin, Atung and Kaka!