Asian Games 2018, Opening Ceremony Highlights; Neeraj Chopra leads out Indian contingent during parade of athletes

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.

Representational image. Reuters

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.