JAKARTA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's annual ASEAN School Games (ASG) multisport event opened on Wednesday in Semarang, capital of Central Java province, with local media reporting at least 1,600 student athletes from all 10 ASEAN nations taking part.
Running until July 25, this year's event features badminton, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, volleyball, athletics, sepak takraw and pencak silat martial arts.
Speaking in his remarks to address the event, Indonesia's Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi said Indonesian athletes are capable of achieving the nation's target of winning the event this year.
"We have to give our utmost, and be confident that we can win this year with respect to the ASEAN student brotherhood," the minister said.
Indonesia won the 2015 ASG in Brunei, and has secured second position in every ASG since then.
The first ASG took place in 2009 in Thailand. Indonesia currently ranks second in the all-time ASG medal count.
