The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) general assembly on Saturday approved Indonesia as hosts for the 2018 Asian Games, five months after original hosts Vietnam backed out due to financial difficulties.

Rita Subowo, president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, made an emotional presentation at the OCA general assembly Saturday morning before their bid won the nod.

"Indonesia is ready to host the next Asian Games in 2018," Subowo told the OCA general assembly. "It's our dreams to host again the Asian Games after 56 years.

"Now this is the chance for our youth generations to be able to participate, not only to compete, but also to be the hosts and welcome you all to our country."

Subowo said that much of the infrastructure needed was already in place and Jakarta's new airport and mass transit system would be finished by the time the games are held.

"Time is so short. That is the biggest challenge," she said. "So from now on we have to work hard and we need the support of our friends and colleagues, not only in Asia, but also from all over the world."

Vietnam had originally been picked to host the 18th Games in 2019, but withdrew blaming an economic crisis. Indonesia immediately said it would be "proud" to step up.

The OCA initially scheduled the event for 2019 to make it one year before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But Jakarta told the OCA that if they were to host the Asiad, usually a quadrennial tournament, it would have to be a year earlier, in 2018, because presidential elections were scheduled for 2019.

Indonesia earlier had suggested the games could be staged in the country's second-biggest city Surabaya. Surabaya lost to Hanoi in November 2012 in the race for the 2019 Games after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates pulled out just before the vote.

Indonesia staged the Asian Games once before, in Jakarta in 1962.

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