As the Southeast Asian Games opened with an extravagant ceremony at Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang on Friday, the real party began at a still-unfinished venue on Cipule Lake.

Hours before the Rp 150 billion ($16.8 million) opening ceremony started, Indonesian athletes earned the country’s first two gold medals in rowing events in Karawang, West Java.

Eka Oktarorianus claimed the first by winning the men’s 1,000-meter Canoe-1 event. He then partnered Anwar Tarra to win a second gold in the 1,000-meter Canoe-2 event. Read more