JAKARTA: Indonesia has officially joined bidding to host the 2032 Olympics following its success staging the Asian Games last year, the deputy chairman of its national Olympic committee said on Tuesday, highlighting the rising ambitions of the giant but perennially under-performing Southeast Asian nation.

Muddai Madang said letters from President Joko Widodo and the national Olympic committee were delivered to the IOC president in Lausanne last week by Indonesia’s ambassador to Switzerland.

“Indonesia is ready to host the Olympics,” Madang told The Associated Press. “What we need now is support from all the Indonesian people and the international community.”

Widodo, who is campaigning for re-election, made a surprise announcement of plans to bid for the 2032 games after the Indonesian cities of 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.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2019