JAKARTA, Sept 2: Indonesia needs to keep its momentum and not fall into a �black hole� after the Asian Games if it wants to host the 2032 Olympics, IOC chief Thomas Bach said on Sunday.
Bach said Indonesia has the right ingredients to host the world�s biggest multi-sports event, following President Joko Widodo�s surprise announcement of a bid.
The Southeast Asian country has defied expectations to hold a mainly smooth Asian Games, which has a bumper 17,000 athletes and officials, and 40 sports.
�With the success of this Asian Games Indonesia has laid a very solid foundation for such a candidature,� Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, said ahead of the closing ceremony.
�You can see the ingredients are there, you see a young, enthusiastic nation. Passionate about sports, working with high efficiency in the organisation... So, I think it will be a very strong candidature.�
�I think what is important now for Indonesia is keep the momentum of this Games,� he added.
�So for you now not to fall into a black hole the moment after everybody has left.� The Asian Games is by far the biggest sports event held in Indonesia. The 2011 Southeast Games in the country were marked by corruption scandals, delays and two deaths in a stadium stampede.
But Bach said he was encouraged that Indonesia�s government would maintain enthusiasm after the Games, partly by encouraging more people to play sports.
He added that ESports, which debuted as a demonstration sport, had a number of �obstacles to be overcome� before it can be considered for the Olympics.
ESports� lack of a unified body, the commercial interests of games manufacturers and violent or adult content were all problems, he said.
�Some people still have some doubts whether it�s really sport, what is being done there,� said Bach. � AFP
