6th ASEAN PARA GAMES
Solo, Indonesia 2011
15-20 Dec 2011

MEDIA RELEASE
8 Dec 2011

6th ASEAN PARA GAMES, Solo, Indonesia - 15-20 December 2011
ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR SOLO GAMES

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Dec - It's all systems go as the city of Solo (Surakarta) gears up to welcome some 2,000 athletes with a disability and officials from 11 countries who are down to compete in the 6th ASEAN Para Games scheduled from 15 to 19 December.

All 11 Asean countries - Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Laos, Brunei, Cambodia and Timor Leste are sending their contingents to compete in the biennial Games which will feature 11 sports.

Sports to be contested in the Solo Games are archery, athletic, badminton, chess, goal ball, powerlifting, swimming, tenpin bowling, table tennis, volleyball sitting and wheelchair tennis.

Solo, located in the heart of the Central Java province, will be a hive of activity as athletes, officials and delegates start to check into the city, famously known for its fine Batik and steep history, beginning Sunday.

The Indonesia Asean Para Games Organising Committee (INASPOC), chaired by Prof James Tangkudong, and the National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia (NPC Indonesia) have pledged a smooth and safe affair throughout the 6-day Games.

Asean Para Sports Federation (APSF), the governing body of the paralympic movement in South East Asia, expressed satisfaction over Solo's commitment and hoped the Games would leave a lasting legacy.

"Judging by the strong support and commitment from the host city, I'm quite sure that the Solo Games would create waves and set a benchmark for future Games in the region... we can expect a friendly yet exciting Games on and off the field,” said APSF President Dato Zainal Abu Zarin today.

Meanwhile, INASPOC chairman Prof. James Tangkudong is upbeat about the Games, saying that all efforts have been focused towards making the Solo Games as the best ever in its 10-year history.

“INASPOC is collaborating closely with APSF on various organizational matters to ensure that no stones are left unturned and eventually making this Games a huge success,” said Prof. James.

Indonesia is hosting the Asean Para Games for the first time. The previous editions were stages in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 and 2009, Hanoi (2003), Manila, (2005) and Nakhonratchasima,Thailand in 2007.

In the last edition in Kuala Lumpur in 2009, Thailand reigned supreme, winning 157 gold, 74 silver and 57 bronze while Malaysia were the runner-up with 94 gold, 81 silver and 71 bronze medals.

A total of 422 gold medals are up for grabs in Solo with the opening ceremony slated on 15 December while the closing ceremony scheduled on December 20.

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ABOUT ASEAN PARA SPORTS FEDERATION

APSF is the governing body of the Paralympic Movement in South East Asia. Helmed by Dato Zainal Abu Zarin as president, APSF was established in 2001 and is currently is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. APSF is committed to enabling athletes with a disability in the region to achieve sporting excellence.

ABOUT ASEAN PARA GAMES

The ASEAN Para Games is a bi-annual multi-sport event held after every Southeast Asian Games for athletes with a physical disability from the ASEAN member nations. The first edition of the Games took place in Kuala Lumpur (2001) followed by Hanoi (2003), Manila (2005), Nakhon Ratchasima (2007) and Kuala Lumpur (2009).

Apart from promoting friendship and solidarity among persons with disabilities in the ASEAN region through sports, the Games also hopes to promote and develop sports for the differently-abled, apart from to rehabilitating and integrating persons with disability into mainstream society through sports.

For further information, please contact:
Naser Wahab, APSF Media and Communications Director on e-mail: naserwahab@gmail.com or call +6012-374 7692

Alternatively, please contact the following media personnel (INAPSOC) in Solo, Surakarta, Indonesia for media enquiries:

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