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Asia Minute: Bronze Medal in the Cards for Indonesia’s Wealthiest Man

Asian Games

International sports competitions usually involve teams of highly trained athletes in top condition. That’s the case for many of the events at this year’s Asian Games in Indonesia—but not for all of them.

The modern version of the Asian Games goes back to the 1950’s—but there have been some changes along the way.

These days, track and field events are front and center at the games.

So are active team sports such as basketball, field hockey, baseball, and volleyball.

There are also individual sports like archery, boxing, table tennis, and taekwondo.

And then there’s bridge.

Contract bridge—the-sit-around-a-table-and-play-cards kind of bridge.

This is the debut year for bridge at the Asian games. Singapore won the gold, Hong Kong the silver.

And the wealthiest man in Indonesia was part of the team that took the bronze medal.

Forbes says Bambang Hartono has a net worth just shy of 12-billion dollars….making him the 75th richest person in the world.

Along with his brother, he owns a conglomerate centered on clove cigarettes but that includes a bank, plantations and electronics.

His age is also a bit unusual for international sports competitions—he’s 78….but not the oldest player at the games.

That would be Kong Te Yang….representing the Philippines at the bridge table…at the age of 85.

With the Asia Minute, Bill Dorman, Hawai‘i Public Radio

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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