Should We Bury The Dream Of Seeing The 2036 Olympics Held At IKN?

Olympic illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Real Estate Japan)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ambitions to hold the Olympics in Indonesia. In fact, there is already a discourse to run for the 2036 Olympics.

President Jokowi said that Indonesia is ready to host the world's most widespread sporting event in 2036. The President has even prepared the capital city of Nusantara (IKN) as the place.

"On this occasion, I convey Indonesia's willingness and readiness to host the 2036 Olympics in the capital city of the archipelago," said the President in his statement at the Apurva Kempinski Hotel, Badung Regency, Bali Province, Wednesday, November 16, 2022.

This seriousness is increasingly shown by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia (Keppres) Number 9 of 2021 concerning the Indonesian Nomination Committee as Host for the 2032 Olympics. This Presidential Decree was set in Jakarta on April 13, 2021.

It is stated that in this Presidential Decree as a follow-up to Indonesia's official candidacy as the host of the 2032 Olympics, it is necessary to carry out a series of activities from the preparation stage to the election stage. For the implementation of the series, a nomination committee needs to be formed.

"Forming the Indonesian Nomination Committee as Host of the 2032 Olympics, the 2032 Indonesia Bid Committee Olympic Games which will then be called the INABCOG Committee," reads the decision as outlined in Article 1 paragraph (1).

However, the dream is now threatened. Recently, there has been a lot of resistance to the Israeli team's participation in sports activities where Indonesia is the host.

The rejection came from a number of circles. Including the Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo and the Governor of Bali I Wayan Koster.

This refusal made Indonesia lose the status of the host of the 2023 U-20 World Cup. FIFA immediately revoked this right.

Recently, other sports activities, ANOC World Beach Games 2023, which were originally scheduled to be held in Bali, were also threatened. The reason is, I Wayan Koster consistently rejects Israel's participation.

Moreover, the event will be held in his area, Bali.

In Wayan Koster's latest statement, his attitude was taken because he followed the constitution that still applies in Indonesia and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Regulation (Permenlu) Number 3 of 2019.

"What prohibits flying the Israeli flag and national anthem as an entity in Indonesia. So, I still reject Israel's presence in Bali, including at the upcoming ANOC World Beach Games," he said in a statement received Wednesday, April 5.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) responded to I Wayan Koster's statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu). Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, said that the Regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia No.3 of 2019 was not a rule to reject Israel or only specifically regulate the ban on Israel.

"The name Permenlu is 'General Guidelines for Foreign Relations by the Regional Government' and among various things for guided, there are sections or articles regarding Israel and Taiwan," Teuku Faizasyah told VOI, Thursday, January 6.

He further explained that the regulation first appeared in the early era of reform and regional autonomy, to avoid problems from international activities carried out by local governments.

If you look at it again, he continued, the early era of regional reform and autonomy, many regions, local governments that carry out international activities and it is not regulated and causes excess problems.

"For example, there are regions exploring foreign loans. Meanwhile, we know that defense matters, international relations affairs, financial affairs, are under the authority of the central government. So to avoid errors in the management of foreign relations by local governments, guidelines are issued, I underline the nature of guidelines, thus, from so many articles related to the guidelines provided, there are also references to Israel and Taiwan," he explained.

"However, the guidelines apply to local governments, not in an international framework. There are already several precedents that we host international activities and the guidelines are not also referred to," he said.