The opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games has created quite a buzz on social media after Indonesian President Joko Widodo made a grand entrance on a motorcycle at the event. Before the 57-year-old leader made the appearance at the ceremony, a video was shown at the stadium's giant screen, of the President on his way to the opening ceremony. The President, fondly known as Jokowi, and his entourage are shown in the video to be stuck in traffic. The President then gets out of his car and takes a motorcycle to ride through traffic, apparently leaping across obstacles and navigating small lanes before riding into the stadium.
(Indonesian President Joko Widodo is shown borrowing a motorcycle after being stuck in traffic)
A helmet-clad rider, presented to be the President, eventually appears at the stadium before Widodo reveals himself before the dignitaries amid loud cheers and applause from the crowd. The President is known to be a keen motorcycle rider, but some observers have questioned if the stunts shown in the video are actually done by the President himself. In any case, the video showcases the leader as a cool biker, and has been shared and retweeted on social media many times. An opposition politician however has accused the country's leader of using the ceremony to try to appeal to young voters ahead of elections next year.
The 18th Asian Games, declared open by Widodo at the ceremony last weekend, features 18,000 athletes and officials and is being held in Jakarta and Palembang. The last time Indonesia hosted the Asian Games, was in 1962. At this year's games, India has so far clinched 3 gold, two silver and two bronze medals. On Monday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian Games gold medal. The other two gold for India have been won by wrestler Bajrang Punia and 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary, who won the gold in the 10 m Air Pistol men final.
