Singapore, host of next year’s ASEAN Para Games, is all geared up as it prepares intensively towards the staging of the biggest South East Asian Para Games ever, featuring the highest number of sports in the Games’ history since its inaugural edition in 2001.
Still 16 months away, the Singapore Games, organised by the Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee (SAPGOC) will feature a total of 15 sports, three more than the last Games in Myanmar. Thailand had 14 sports featured in the 4th edition in 2007.
The 8th Singapore Asean Para Games 2015 will take place from 3 to 9 December next year.
The Governing Board of the Asean Para Sports Federation (APSF), in a meeting convened in conjunction with the Games 1st Coordination Commission Meeting (CoComm) at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel here, approved the 15 sports proposed by SAPGOC.
APSF, the Games owner, and SAPGOC officially signed the Games Host Contract here, with President Dato Zainal Abu Zarin signing for APSF while Sports Singapore CEO Lim Teck Yin was represented SAPGOC.
Following the completion of the Expression of Interest (EOI) exercise, the APSF agreed that the following sports be listed: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Chess, Five-a-side football, Seven-a-side football, Powerlifting, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Table tennis, Goalball, Tenpin bowling and Wheelchair Basketball.
Badminton, Tenpin Bowling, Sailing and Shooting were the new inclusions while Sitting Volleyball which featured in the last Games in Myanmar, will be missing from the 2015 roster.
Dato Zainal praised Sports Singapore and NPC Singapore for being pro-active in initiating early preparation including preliminary meetings and deliberations leading up to the Coordination Commission Meeting (CoComm).
“As Games owner, APSF continuously looks towards collaborating closely with the host country, the government and relevant parties and stakeholders, in ensuring that each edition of the Games is held successfully. I’m extremely delighted to see the commitment and pro-active efforts taken by the Government, Sports Singapore and NPC Singapore towards making the 2015 Games the best ever,” said Zainal, adding that the Asean Para Games has improved by leaps and bounds since its inaugural Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.
Hanoi staged the second edition in 2003, followed by Manila (2005), Thailand (2007), Kuala Lumpur (2009), Solo Indonesia (2011) and Naypidaw, Myanmar in 2014.
The iconic Marina Bay Sands, with some 1,500 rooms with accessible facilities already booked, will be the Official Games Village, and is all set to house more than 3,000 athletes and officials during the 7-day Games.
The APSF delegation also conducted inspection on venues including the main venue at the Kallang areas and the Singapore Sports Hub, the newly built sports complex which boasts of having state-of-the-art sporting facilities which include the main athletics and football stadium, indoor stadiums and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. A series of test and invitational events will be held from March next
SPORTS APPROVED FOR 8tH ASEAN PARA GAMES: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Chess, Football 7-a-side, Football 5-a-side, Goalball, Powerlifting, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tenpin Bowling, Wheelchair Basketball.
ABOUT ASEAN PARA SPORTS FEDERATION (APSF) APSF is the governing body of the Paralympic Movement in South East Asia. Helmed by Dato Zainal Abu Zarin as president, APSF was established in 2001 and is currently headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. APSF is committed to enabling athletes with a disability in the region to achieve sporting excellence.
ABOUT ASEAN PARA GAMES The ASEAN Para Games is a bi-annual multi-sport event held after every Southeast Asian Games for athletes with a physical disability from the ASEAN member nations. The Games is held to promote friendship and solidarity among persons with disabilities in the ASEAN region through sports. It hopes to promote and develop sports for the differently-abled, apart from to rehabilitating and integrating persons with disability into mainstream society through sports. The 1st Asean Para Games took place in Kuala Lumpur (2001) followed by Hanoi (2003), Manila (2005), Nakhon Ratchasima (2007) and Kuala Lumpur (2009), Solo Indonesia (2011) and Naypyidaw Myanmar (2014).
ABOUT THE 8th ASEAN PARA GAMES, SINGAPORE 2015 The 8th ASEAN Para Games will be held from 3 to 9 December 2015, with Singapore Sports Hub as the main venue for the Games. The Games is held in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th anniversary and will host more than 2,000 athletes and officials from the region. Adopting the theme of Celebrate the Extraordinary, the Games aims to promote friendship and solidarity amongst persons with disabilities in the ASEAN region through sport, to promote and develop sport for the differently abled, and rehabilitate and integrate persons with disabilities into mainstream society through sport.
Issued by APSF Secretariat, Kuala Lumpur. For enquiries and details, please contact APSF Media and Communications Director, Naseruddin Wahab via email at: naserwahab@gmail.com or mobile: +6 012 374 7692.
