18th ASIAN Games and Indonesian’s Nationalism

18 ASIAN Games which was held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia was phenomenal for Indonesian public. It was considered as an achievement for the nation and gained international praise for its execution. This multi-sport event appeared to be multi-facet not only as a stage for the competing athletes but also as festival of culture and exhibition of potentials of Indonesia. This paper discusses the social impact of an international sport event to the host country as it serves as a tool to boost the sense of nationalism. Using qualitative method, an observation was conducted to social media users’ conversations and comments in regard of the event, specifically around its closing ceremonies. Data were analyzed using content analysis technique. It is found that public’s sense of nationalism is expressed by positive perception toward the event as successful and unifying Indonesian people, feeling pride and respect toward the nation regarding its collective effort, cultural diversity, and sport achievement, and increasing trust to government as well as optimism to the future. In conclusion, 18 ASIAN Games has significant contribution to people nationalism, however it is considered only temporary and may faded without real actions to improve conditions of the country. Keywords—18 Asian Games, Indonesian’s nationalism,