Indonesia is "set to retain the hosting rights of the 2018 Asian Games" and avoid an IOC ban "after resolving a row over the use of the Olympic rings logo," according to Patrick Johnston of REUTERS. The IOC "had allowed only the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) to use the iconic logo featuring five different colored interlaced rings after the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) also adopted it without permission." KONI, which heads the sporting associations in Indonesia, "initially refused to back down after the IOC warned the Indonesian government of heavy penalties if the row was not resolved." Meetings between KONI and KOI, which was once part of KONI but separated to oversee Indonesia's participation at major sporting events like the Olympics, "failed to resolve the issue" but KONI said that its members "had opted to relent this week." KONI Chair Tono Suratman said, "Our members have recommended (dropping the rings) and we've picked a few candidates to help design the new logo." The government "threatened to withdraw funding for KONI if it did not drop the logo." A spokesperson for the government said IOC President Thomas Bach "would be informed of the decision and it hoped Indonesia would escape sanction" (
REUTERS, 4/6).
