SINGAPORE: With Team Singapore ending a successful SEA Games campaign in Myanmar, the focus now shifts to disabled athletes.
A 52-strong contingent will head to Myanmar for the ASEAN Para Games from January 14, and more than half of them will be debutants.
With many new faces making their debuts, the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) hopes to field up to a hundred athletes across 10 to 12 sports when the 2015 ASEAN Para Games comes to Singapore.
The 2015 edition will be staged in December, six months after the SEA Games in June, to avoid clashing with the Muslim fasting month, and National Day celebrations in that year.
Team Singapore's disabled athletes will compete in five sports at the ASEAN Para Games from January 14 to 20 in boccia, athletics, football, table tennis and swimming.
And the athletics and table tennis contingents will be significantly larger compared to 2011.
One athlete making his debut in Myanmar will be Navy Serviceman Jason Chee, who lost both legs and his left arm in a horrific ship accident in 2012.
Competing in table tennis, Chee wants to be an inspiration to others.
He said: "There will be opportunity for people with disability to take up sports, like me. If I can represent Singapore, there are many disabled people, they also can represent Singapore."
Singapore is also sending a football team for the very first time.
The Cerebral Palsy Team is not familiar with its regional competitors, but boasts a good track record.
Muhammad Mubarak, Team Singapore's football player competing in the 7th ASEAN Para Games, said: "With all the experience in the AFC Dream Asia CP Soccer tournament back in 2012, and the recent invitational tournament in Vienna earlier in August, I believe the team is doing quite well."
Seven boccia athletes headed for Myanmar are also hoping the experience proves valuable for 2015.
Neo Kah Whye, a boccia player for Team Singapore, said: "From Asia Youth Games, I came back (and) my target was to train harder, better than last time, so now (I have) improved."
Singapore won nine gold, 10 sliver and 9 bronze medals in 2011, but Team Singapore is quietly confident.
Justinian Chua, Team Singapore's Chef de Mission, said: "We are expecting to do well in swimming where majority of our medals will be coming from swimming, and also two new sports boccia and football seven-a-side, which I personally have high hopes for them to do well."
The contingent leaves for Nay Pyi Taw on January 11, with the Games starting three days later.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/asean-para-games-spore-to-field-up-to-100-athletes-for-2015-games/
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