The 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia: Challenging the East Asia Epoch

Writing about the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, J. A. Mangan heralded the »coming East Asian Epoch« (2013, 1032), which seems to materialize with the three sequent Olympic Games in East Asia and the East Asian dominance of the Asian Games. Consequently, the question arises whether East Asia occupies a discrete role in Asia leaving Southeast Asia and other regions behind. Between 2010 and 2026, only the 2018 event is not taking place in East Asia but in Indonesia. This lecture explores in how far Indonesia can establish its own agenda with the help of the Asian Games. The event with the two host cities Jakarta and Palembang represents an emerging force outside East Asia with its own ambitions on the political and sporting stages. The Indonesian perspective on the continental sport mega-event highlights the target to create new and stronger images of the host cities and the entire country, to stress Indonesia’s sport history and to gain a strong position in Asia. Thus, the Indonesian Asian Games could challenge the East Asia Epoch.