Sukanti Raharjo Bintoro, Rosmadee Daud, Than Than Htay, Dato Hakem Arabi, Nino Susanto, Arnold Agustin, Michael Barredo, Ramon Suzara, Osoth Bahvilai, Rokiah Omar, Pribadi, Nopadol Jiranboondilok, Kesone Sisongkham

The Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) officially kicked off the 10th ASEAN Para Games (APG) on January 18, 2019 at the Novotel Manila in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. This is exactly a year before the event takes place on January 2020.

“The Philippines is grateful for the opportunity to host the 10th APG, an event that will give all differently abled athletes in the region a platform to override their limitations and achieve the seemingly impossible,” PPC President Michael Barredo said. “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). The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Asian Paralympic Committee lend technical and classification assistance when needed.

International APSF representatives made an ocular inspection of the official event venues in Clark, Pampanga, in Subic, Zambales and in Manila. Among them were Barredo, Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Arnold Agustin, APSF sports director Nino Susanto, APSF president major general Osoth Bahvilai, Philippine APG organizing committee chief operating officer Ramon Suzara, Dr. Kesone Sisongkham of Laos, Dr. Rokiah Omar of Malaysia, Prof. Nopadol Jiranboondilok of Thailand, Prof. Than Than Htay of Myanmar, Dato Hakem Arabi of Malaysia, Sukanti Raharjo Bintoro of Indonesia, Rosmadee Daud of Brunei and Pribadi of Indonesia.

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. The 11 member countries are 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 10th APG. They will compete in 14 sports namely 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.