Asian Games diaries: Jokowi—the Bon Jovi of the opening ceremony

Indonesia Asian Games Indonesian President JJoko "Jokowi" Widodo, center, holds the Asian Games torch as he runs during an independence day ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 17 | AP

Joko Widodo. The man who stole the show. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games began with a pre-shot video of the Indonesian president, 57, reaching the GBK Stadium in Jakarta. He stepped out of his official residence, stepped into the waiting car and told the driver to go ahead. Regular stuff, one might think. A few moments later though, Jokowi, as he is fondly called, got out of the car, put on a helmet and mounted a bike. He revved the engine and, seeing a ramp on the road, raced towards it and launched himself into the air. He landed perfectly amid awed faces, proceeded to race through the streets of Jakarta, and stopped only to help some children cross the street. He lifted his helmet to let them know who he was, and one of the kids almost dropped his ice cream. Such was the wonderment.

Cut to the stadium, where a man on a bike, intended to be the president, entered to thunderous applause. The biker pulled up after a bit and walked into an elevator. When the doors opened a few floors above, out came Jokowi, looking dapper in a black suit. The crowd erupted. 

“Our president is a rockstar,” a local reporter told me. We were at the main press centre and were watching it on the big screen. Limited tickets, you see. “He loves rock music. Do you know Metallica?” he asked. “Of course,” I shot back. “He’s a big fan. When Metallica came to Indonesia, he went to see them.” 

On a recent visit to Indonesia, the Danish prime minister gifted Jokowi a vinyl record of Metallica’s Master of Puppets. I guess that explained the guitar riff in the video.

The ceremony began, and everything went as per usual. Journalists cheered on as their countries’ contingents walked out. Palestine got the most wholesome applause.

But it was Jokowi again, with a little seated jig, who caught the cameras and the people’s attention.

The president, who took office in 2014, comes from outside the traditional ruling elite, from a humble background, and focuses on infrastructure development. And, he is also known to pull up the bureaucracy with unplanned visits. Remind you of someone else?

Even after four years in power, Jokowi’s approval ratings have remained steady. His hard-line stance on drugs notwithstanding, the ruler seems to know the pulse of the people, many of whom consider him as one of their own.

As the ceremony wound to a close, and the camera panned on Jokowi, he stood up and, as a parting note, reminded the audience that everyone was in this together. “We are one. We stand united,” he said. A message certainly befitting an event like the Asian Games.