RTM announces plans for coverage of Asian Youth Paralympic Games

Radio Televisyen Malaysia has announced details of its planned coverage of the 2013 Asian Youth Paralympic Games, for which it will be host broadcaster later this year.

RTM will provide live coverage of the Opening Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur as well as a two-hour presentation each day of competition comprising live and recorded coverage of the day’s events. There will also be an international highlights package produced each day from 26-30 October and made available via satellite to all countries in Asia.

The 2013 Games, its logo and website (www.asianparalympic.org) were officially launched by the Minister for Youth and Sport, Y.B. Encick Khairy Jamaluddin, at a ceremony in Putrajaya.

Also at the launch were Paralympic Council of Malaysia Patron, Tun Jeanne Abdullah, and PCM president and Chairman of the AYPG Organising Committee, Dato Zainal Abu Zarin.

Dato Zainal stressed the theme for the Games “Where Passion Grows, Dreams Fulfilled, Friendships Strengthened” and said the Games had already set a new record as 14 Sports will be contested, an increase of nine since the last Games in 2009. Sports include athletics, archery, boccia, swimming, badminton, table tennis, chess, powerlifting, goalball, tenpin bowling, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, judo and vollyball-sitting.

The Minister paid tribute to the athletes who participate and said he was proud to be associated with these Games in particular and with Paralympic sports in general.

He said that in future Paralympic sports, men and women would be accorded the same status as able-bodied athletes in future funding considerations.

Further details on transmission plans can be obtained from ABU Sport Advisor Patrick Furlong: patrick@abu.org.my.