After missing live coverage of badminton player Taufik Hidayat's gold medal winning feat at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Indonesians will be able to watch the Beijing Olympics next month live and free, as state-owned TV of the Republic of Indonesia (TVRI) acquired the broadcast rights.

"We will air the Games," the Jakarta Post Daily Tuesday quoted TVRI spokesperson Meggy Theresia Rares as saying.

This is good news for Indonesian sports fans, she said.

"On Tuesday we will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)," Meggy said on Monday, referring to the organization in charge of the Games broadcast in 28 Asian countries and regions.

She declined to say how much TVRI had paid for the rights or to provide any other details, promising more information would be forthcoming after the agreement is signed.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2008)