PH kicks off 10th ASEAN Para Games

 The Philippine Paralympic Committee officially kicked off the 10^th ASEAN Para Games (APG)  -- exactly a year before the event takes place on January 2020 -- at the Novotel Manila in Quezon City.

Earlier in the day, international representatives of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) made an ocular inspection of the official event venues in Clark, Subic and Manila. The New Clark City Sports Complex is now under construction in Capas, Tarlac where a 20,000-seat stadium will rise, among other international standard competition venues. The sports complex will serve as the Athletes Village for both the Southeast Asian Games in December 2019 and the APG in January 2020.

The ASEAN Para Games 2020 begins on January 18, 2020 a few weeks after the completion of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. APG 2020 will be concluded on January 25, 2020.

For the second time since the ASEAN Para Games was established, the Philippines will be hosting the biannual multisport event for differently-abled athletes from the 11 member countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Timor Leste and the Philippines.

An estimated 2,000 differently-abled athletes from different countries in Southeast Asia are expected to fly in for the 10^th APG and compete in 14 sports : Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Chess, Cycling, Volleysitting, Wheelchair-Basketball, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Swimming, Tenpin Bowling, and Table Tennis. Participants in the APG include athletes with physical, vision and intellectual disabilities.

Michael Barredo, PPC President said “The Philippines is grateful for the opportunity to host the 10^th APG, an event that will give all differently abled athletes in the region a platform to override their limitations and achieve the seemingly impossible. At the same time it will inspire our local para athletes to exceed their recent achievements and show that they can aspire for greater glory and give pride to our country.”

The ASEAN Para Games is under the regulation of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) while the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Asian Paralympic Committee lend technical and classification assistance when needed.