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With just over two months to go until the 8th ASEAN Para Games, the Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (SAPGOC) is aiming for the event to be an inspiring festival of sport; showcasing the courage and skill of South East Asia's best para athletes.

Urging the community to get behind the Games, SAPGOC  Chairman Lim Teck Yin recently stated “this is the first time that Singapore will be hosting the ASEAN Para Games and it is a key milestone event in Singapore's sporting history.

“This is a special year for all Singaporeans and we encourage everyone to come together to cheer these inspiring athletes and embrace an event that is all about inclusiveness and courage to rise above life's challenges.”

Beyond just sporting excellence, SAPGOC also hopes to use the 8th ASEAN Para Games as a platform to garner more support, understanding and appreciation for para sport and for persons with disabilities (PWD).

The Games will see the largest ever contingent of 145 Team Singapore athletes - almost three times larger than the previous record of 59 athletes in 2008. Out of these, 80 athletes will be participating in the Games for the very first time.

Being held from 3rd to 9th December, the Games will be staged at 10 venues around Singapore. A primary consideration for the selection of the venues is the need to provide ease of accessibility for the PWD community, not just for the athletes, but for spectators as well.

Lim added “we are working with venues and potential vendors to ensure that they are ready to welcome our athletes and spectators from South East Asia.

“Some initiatives that we are looking at bringing in include ramps, wheelchair accessible toilets and also additional seating capacity for wheelchair users.”

In the final run up to the Games, a range of initiatives have been organised to create awareness and muster support.

‘Sports without Boundaries’ Roadshows will give the public an opportunity to meet Team Singapore athletes and find out more about the different Para-sports. Started in July at the Jurong West Sports Centre, these Roadshows have also been held at the Choa Chu Kang Sport Centre  with two more events to take place at the Sengkang and Pasir Ris Sports Centres.

Para Sport invitationals are also being organised to inspire communities in Singapore to get excited for the Para Games. A Table Tennis invitational was held at Marina Square in July, attracting 22,000 spectatotrs while this weekened (26th and 27th September) will see a Football 7-a-side invitational will be held at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh, with a Powerlifting invitational to be held in October.

Since January, SAPGOC has reached out to more than 16,500 students from 19 schools. SAPGOC is targeting to reach out to another 31 schools over the next three months.

Come October, the town will again be painted red in support of Team Singapore and to get the community excited about the Games.

For more information go to www.aseanparagames2015.com

Lower image shows members of Team Singapore.

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