CITATION BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH SUMATERA South Sumatera Province, with Palembang as the capital city, needs an effective development strategy to boost its ecenomic growth especially in terms of driving investments. Aside from the conservative approach which derives from the Long Term and Middle Term National Development Plan that focusing on pro poor – pro job – pro growth strategy, the Provincial Government of South Sumatera sets a more detailed and comprehensive development strategy in which sports is used as its foundation. The main strategy is to develop an integrated sports complex which has all the necessary components for hosting international multi sports events; such as competition venues, non-competition venues (athletes’ village with dining hall and sports science center), equipped with supporting infrastructures (water supply, solid waste treatment facility, and green open spaces). Eventually, the infrastructure needed will not only be built on the sports complex, but also in Palembang greater area, mostly regarding the transportation system that will support access for human and logistic to the sports complex. These infrastructures construction that were believed to be the engine to enhance economic growth in terms of driving investments. The development that later known as Jakabaring Sport City (JSC) stands on a 360 Ha of Provincial Government estate in which it not only plays the role as sports, education, and entertainment complex, but also as the water catchment area for Jakabaring district in Palembang with its artificial lake of 48 Ha. The massive development of the complex started on September 2011 after South Sumatera has been appointed as the host for the 26th South East Asian (SEA) Games 2011 together with Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia. The construction work was led directly by Governor Alex Noerdin in conjunction with all the key elements in the government, private sectors, and society. The mega project that extends up to USD 260 million for construction budget, exhausting only USD 10 million in provincial budget, USD 50 million from national budget, and fully supported by private financing of USD 200 million within the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme. The project was finished in 11 months and the 18 venues were ready for hosting the regional multi sports event that later recognized as the most successful SEA Games that has been organized in Indonesia to date, with Indonesia also came out as the leader in medal tally. The plan works; investments in the development of hotels, restaurants, and malls in Palembang rise significantly. JSC takes up the popularity as Indonesia’s most integrated sports complex and always be chosen as the first option in hosting international single and multi sports events in Indonesia. The successful organization continues with 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games in 2013 with 52 participant countries, 17th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Games in 2014, including lost list of international single events, and reaches its momentum when Palembang was appointed as the host for 18th Asian Games 2018 together with Jakarta. Since the signing of the Host City Contract for 18th Asian Games 2018 in October 2014, the support for infrastructure development from the national government was strategically carried out, including the expansion of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin 2 airport, the construction of Light Rail Transit (LRT) that connecting the airport straight to JSC, the construction of Musi 4 and Musi 6 bridges as the alternative access to JSC within Palembang, and the development of Palembang-Indralaya toll road that will upgrade the logistic access from Java island to Palembang. Also within the JSC compound, the provincial and national government are working together in improving supporting infrastructure; such as the potable water with Ultra High Filtration, solid waste treatment plant with 4R scheme (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Replanting), increasing numbers of green open spaces, and last but not least, the extension of the artificial lake as the water catchment area up to 64 Ha. The Governor will not rest, after a long and detailed discussion, Dorna Sports as the license owner of Moto GP has agreed to include Palembang as one of the host of this magnificent race for the season of 2018 until 2021. Since September 2016, the preparation of the development of the Jakabaring Sport City Palembang Moto GP Circuit has already underway, started with the preparation of the Detailed Engineering Design of the circuit by Tilke Consultants GMBH led by Herman Tilke who has designed numbers of big circuits all around the world. For these extraordinary opportunities as the host for 18th Asian Games 2018 and Moto GP, Governor Alex Noerdin sets up the ultimate development strategy that connects all 17 cities and regencies in South Sumatera Province in terms of commodities integrated outlet and industrial estate, namely Tanjung Api-Api Special Economic Zone (TAA SEZ). The core strategy is to develop an industrial estate that acted as the downstream industry for commodities that come from all over the province, connected with railways and roads, integrated with the deep sea port. As Palembang becomes more and more competitive economically in international scale, now is the best time to set the TAA SEZ project in a more progressive motion that has been shown by the Governor. With TAA SEZ project, the economic growth driven by sports based development strategy that maybe enjoyed only by Palembang and its satellite cities, will now be spread throughout the province. Governor of South Sumatera ALEX NOERDIN .