Indonesia makes 2032 Olympics bid official

Letters from Joko Widodo, above, and the national Olympic committee were sent to the International Olympic committee in Switzerland. (AFP)

• President Joko Widodo’s announcement to participate in bidding to host the 2032 Olympics came as a surprise
• Indonesia hosted the 18th Asian Games from August to September in 2018

JAKARTA: The deputy chairman of Indonesia’s Olympic committee says the country has officially joined bidding to host the 2032 Olympics following its success staging the Asian Games last year.
Muddai Madang on Tuesday said letters from President Joko Widodo and the national Olympic committee were delivered to the International Olympic Committee’s president in Lausanne last week by Indonesia’s ambassador to Switzerland.
Widodo made a surprise announcement of plans to bid for the 2032 games after Jakarta and Palembang co-hosted the 18th Asian Games in August, and the process has gathered momentum. The Olympics have never been held in Southeast Asia.
India is planning to bid for the 2032 games and North and South Korea have confirmed an intention to launch a joint bid, while there have been expressions of interest from Australia and Russia.