Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Asian Games 2018. Stay tuned as we count down to the opening ceremony and bring you live updates from Jakarta. Auto refresh feeds President Joko Widodo and vice president Jusuf Kalla open the games with a speech about Indonesia and the spirit of the Asian Games. Widodo also mentioned the fact that this is the first occasion on which the event will be held in two cities, namely Jakarta and Palembang. The Council's flag was hoisted after a number of medal winning athletes dressed in military uniforms carried the flag to the pole. There's no lack of pyro-technics at the GBK stadium, with every part of the opening ceremony being interjected with vibrant and colourful fireworks! With the stadium being completely packed, thousands of people have queued up outside to watch the opening ceremony on giant television screens. The hoisting of the flags is followed by an expansive artistic re-telling of Indonesia's rich history, with troops of dancers moving in perfect rhythm to the music of Indonesia's top pop-stars. The opening ceremony tells the story of Indonesia and its people through an enthralling mix of dance and music, told by thousands of artists in an enormous performance! The ethereal voice of Putri Ayu creates an audible hush amongst the crowd. Goosebumps all over! #OpeningCeremonyAsianGames2018 #OpeningAG2018 #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/Rwxb1m2Tm5 Six of Indonesia's former medal-winning athletes carried the torch all the way up the imposing mountainous structure of the stage, right up to the very top, where it was used to light a huge fire in a basin fashioned in the style of a volcanic crater. The lighting of the cauldron was followed by a soulful performance from French-Indonesian singer Anggun, who performed with a number of dancers behind her, illuminated by mesmerizing light show coloured with deep shades of purple. The lighting of cauldron and Anggun's performance brings the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony to an end, signalling the beginning of the tournament. From tomorrow, the Games will begin in earnest, with events like Wrestling and Shooting starting their initial rounds. Tune in to Firstpost tomorrow to catch more live updates of the Asian Games 2018 After a chaotic and sometimes controversial build-up, athletes from the 45 participating countries will gear up to challenge the best in the continent when the main competitions of the 18th Asian Games begin with the opening ceremony on Sunday. The weeks and months leading up to the tournament have been dogged by worries over poor air quality, terrorism and Jakarta's notorious traffic. But organisers insist they are ready, and 4,000 dancers and a 100-piece orchestra will get the party started in Jakarta at a ceremony which organisers say will be watched by billions of people across Asia and beyond. The main Gelora Bung Karno stadium will be transformed into a verdant mountain, organisers say, and Indonesian celebrity singer Anggun Cipta Sasmi will take to the stage. The Games website says the ceremony will show the world Indonesia is capable of hosting an international event — but the jury is still out. Just a few hours before the opening on Saturday, national police chief Tito Karnavian visited the GBK stadium, telling journalists that more than 8,000 security officials would be deployed for the ceremony. "We are giving special attention to security," he said at the arena, where more than 300 CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology have been installed. Around 50,000 people are expected inside the stadium, Games organising committee INASGOC said Saturday, adding that tickets — which range in price from to $50-$350 — had sold out. The ceremony will see North and South Korea march together at the Asian Games opening ceremony as one of the world's largest multi-sport competitions gets under way under a cloud of concern over security and pollution on Saturday. The two Koreas will march behind the blue-and-white Korean Unification flag for the second time this year, after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics — an event that heralded an unprecedented warming of ties. The North and South, still technically at war, are also joining forces in women's basketball, canoeing and rowing during the 40-sport, two-week regional Olympics. The Indian contingent, represented by 804 athletes and officials, will aim to better their performance at the previous Asiad in Incheon, South Korea, where they finished eighth with 11 gold, 10 silver and and 36 bronze medals. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will lead the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. The 20-year-old has top class credentials by virtue of being the first Indian to win a gold medal at a World Championships. This came courtesy of his victory at the 2016 World Youth Championships. With inputs from agencies.<doc-sep>Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor<doc-sep>The 18th edition of the Asian Games will kickoff on August 18 and it will be the 18th edition of the continental sporting extravaganza which started back in 1951. This edition will be held from 18th August to 2nd September 2018 and will be hosted by the two Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang, the first time in history that two cities are hosting the event. This particular edition will host around 10,000 athletes from 45 countries, who will compete in 58 disciplines. Indonesia will be hosting the Asian Games for the second time after the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962. The opening and closing ceremonies of the games will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta. The star-studded opening ceremony is expected to include Indonesian artists Anggun, Raisa, Tulus, Edo Kondologit, Putri Ayu, Fatin, GAC, Kamasean and Via Vallen. Where will the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony be held? The Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta What time will the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony begin? The Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony will start at 5:30 PM IST. What channel will the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony be shown on? The Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony will be shown on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2 and Sony ESPN. Where is live streaming of the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony available? Live streaming of the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony is available on Sony Liv. You can also find live updates for the same at https://www.hindustantimes.com/asian-games-2018/<doc-sep>Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia will be broadcast live on cable TV in Hong Kong. Photo: AP<doc-sep>
Asian Games 2018 Opening Ceremony Live streaming: This is the 18th edition of the multi-sport event. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File) Asian Games 2018 Opening Ceremony Live streaming: This is the 18th edition of the multi-sport event. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File) The 2018 Asian Games will kick off on Saturday in Indonesia. The multi-sport event is into its 18th edition and will be held in the cities of Jakarta and Palembang. This is the first time the Games are being hosted by two cities. 16,000 competitors and officials have descended in Games Village for the event. The opening ceremony will feature popular Indonesian singers like Raisa, Tulus, Edo Kondologit, Putri Ayu, Fatin, GAC, Kamasean and Via Vallen. Anggun, a French-naturalised Indonesian singer who represented France at Eurovision 2012 will also perform. When will the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony be held? The Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 18, 2018. Where is the Asian Games 2018 Opening Ceremony being held? The Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. What time does live coverage of Asian Games 2018 Opening Ceremony start? The pre-show will begin at 5.00 pm IST, with the ceremony beginning at 5.30 pm IST. The ceremony will be followed up by a post-show at 8.00 pm IST. How do I watch the Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony? The opening ceremony will be broadcast on Sony Ten 2, Ten 2 HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD. How do I follow Asian Games 2018 opening ceremony live online? Live online streaming will be available on Sony LIV. You can follow live commentary and social media updates here on IndianExpress.com