ASIAN GAMES: Indonesia shrugs off organisation woes

Organisers of Indonesia’s 2018 Asian Games insisted yestersday that preparations were on track after the build-up was hit by corruption allegations and concerns about faltering organisation. With 18 months to go until the start of the world’s biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, the flurry of early problems has sparked worries in a country with a chequered history of hosting international tournaments.

When Indonesia hosted the Southeast Asian Games in 2011, the event was marked by a major corruption scandal, delays in getting venues and infrastructure ready and a deadly stampede at the football final.