Indonesia is a country with a long tradition in sports. The national sport of Indonesia is badminton, but Indonesians also enjoy football, basketball, cycling, boxing and there are many interesting traditional sports, including Sepak takraw and Pencak Silat, a martial art native to Indonesia. With so many great sporting events hosted in Indonesia, it is no wonder that sports betting is also popular in this country, despite the government’s efforts to ban it. If you are in Indonesia and would like to enjoy a sports event, here are some of the most beautiful sports venues in the country.
The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta is one of the world’s largest football stadiums. With a capacity of about 76,127 today, it has been reduced in size twice throughout history and initially rivaled the world’s largest stadium in North Korea, Rungardo 1st of May Stadium. The football stadium is sometimes referred to as the Main Stadium because it is part of a sports complex consisting of multiple venues for tennis, swimming, etc. The architectural focal point of the stadium is the enormous ring engulfing the roof of the stadium called the temu gelang. This stadium usually hosts Cup Finals or Asian Games so you would be able to see the crème de la crème of Asian sport right here in Jakarta.
Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Center
Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Center hosts one of the largest swimming events in Asia with a capacity of around 8,630 seats. The Aquatic Center is used for sprint swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo competitions. Recently, the venue was used to host the Asian Games, water sports.
Istoria
Istora is also known as the Istana Olahraga, or Sports Castle, and was built in 1962 but after the facilities underwent significant improvements much has changed. Apart from wonderful music events, the Istora Senayan held the Badminton Asian Games events this year, which was quite a treat. This is because the Indonesian badminton teams are amongst the best in the world. Indonesia has never failed to be placed among the top four best teams in the world every year since badminton became an Olympic sport except for 2012. In the world of boxing, this venue has seen the like of Muhammad Ali fight Rudie Lubbers in 1973.
Palaran Main Stadium
In the capital city of East Kalimantan, Samarinda, Palaran Main Stadium stands tall. It was opened in 2008 and hosted both the Pekan Olahraga Nasional and the National Paralympic Week. The venue also hosted the 2009 Liga Indonesia quarter-finals and Final. This beautiful venue cost around 800 billion IDR, which is the equivalent of approximately 46.67 million EUR. With a capacity of 67,075, it is the second largest sporting venue in Indonesia. Interestingly the Palaran is the first Indonesian all-seater stadium, unlike other venues where standing tickets are commonplace.
Patriot Stadium
The beautiful Patriot stadium, built in 1980, was used this year as the go-to venue for the men’s football during the 2018 Asian Games. It was upgraded in 2011 and the stadium is now a source of pride for Persipasi Bekasi fans. Not only is the stadium used for club football, but it is also an alternative training pitch for the national team. Funded by the city of Bekasi, the venue cost up to 450 billion rupiahs.
