ASEAN Para Games 2015 could be “biggest ever”

Fifteen sports will feature in next year’s ASEAN Para Games in Singapore, the highest number since the games started in 2001.

The Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (SAPGOC) hopes the games from 3-9 December 2015 will be the biggest ever, with three more sports than the last games in Myanmar and more than the 14 sports in the 4th games in Thailand in 2007. 

The Governing Board of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF), in a meeting convened in conjunction with the games first Coordination Commission meeting (CoComm) at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, approved the 15 sports proposed by SAPGOC. 

The APSF agreed that next year’s sports will be 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. 

APSF and SAPGOC officially signed the Games Host Contract, with President Dato Zainal Abu Zarin signing for APSF while Sports Singapore CEO Lim Teck Yin represented SAPGOC. 

Dato Zainal praised Sports Singapore and NPC Singapore for being pro-active in initiating early preparations, including preliminary meetings and deliberations leading up to the CoComm meeting.

“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,” he said. “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.” 

The Marina Bay Sands, with some 1,500 rooms with accessible facilities already booked, will be the Official Games Village and is expected to host more than 3,000 athletes and officials during the seven-day event.

The APSF delegation also inspected venues including the main site at the Kallang area and the Singapore Sports Hub, a newly built sports complex that boasts state-of-the-art sporting facilities that include the main athletics and football stadium, indoor stadiums and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.