Sporting extravaganza of 19 events lined up

The Asean Para Sports Federation Board of Governors (BoG) has given conditional approval and endorsement for 19 sports to be contested at the 13th Asean Para Games Thailand 2025.

The Games will take place in Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok from 20-26 Jan next year, will be the second time Thailand has hosted the Games (18 years).

But that approval could change the number of events offered. The Thailand Sports Organising Committee (Thasoc) has presented a total of 536 events to the Board as its first page of the Games.

“Justice of all participating countries is sought, so the board had advised the local organising committee to enrich the list and number of events and to provide more options for the 19 sports.” There will then be a Draw by Number exercise,” said Maj Gen Osoth Bhavilai, president of the APSF Board of Executives (Exco) who acting as BoG secretary at a recent online meeting.

For comparison, the 11th Asean Para Games Solo 2022 initially listed 924 events and 14 sports, with finalised 455 events. Out of the proposed 986 events in the 12th Asean Para Games Cambodia 2023, only 439 were contested across 14 sports.

Thasoc has committed to review and submit an updated list of the events to be held across the 19 approved sports, which are: Archery, para athletics, para badminton, blind football, boccia, bowling, chess, cycling (road and track), CP football, goalball, judo, para powerlifting, para shooting, sitting volleyball, para swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair tennis.

Only Bowling will be a Sport to take place in Bangkok.

This will be discussed in detail at the 1st APSF-Thasoc Coordination Committee (CoComm) meeting in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima March 25-27.