Hosts Indonesia have announced a one-week delay of the 11^th ASEAN Para Games, although preparations are going well.

A view of the men's 400m T20 event during the 2017 ASEAN Para Games at the National Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 2021 Para Games hosted by Indonesia will move to new dates from July 30 to August 6 in Surakarta City. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The regional sports tournament for athletes with disabilities will be rescheduled from July 30 to August 6 in Surakarta City in Java.

The ASEAN Para Sports Federation's Secretary-General Senior Colonel Wandee Tosuwan said the Games organisers were racing against time to ensure smooth delivery of the Games with almost 100 days to go.

“We are pulling our resources together, working collectively to ensure that all related areas are well-covered, including health protocols to ensure the safety of athletes, guests and spectators," Wandee said.

“We are embarking on a series of meetings at the working level with NPC Indonesia to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the organisational efforts despite facing various challenges."

National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia Secretary-General Rima Ferdianto said: “We are working closely with APSF to help us tie up loose ends, including refurbishing some of the facilities and ensuring all functional areas are in place.”

He said visits by the APSF delegation to inspect venues and other facilities in Surakarta, also known as Solo, were also planned.

However, the new dates of the Para Games may create trouble for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, who are set to send athletes to the 2022 Commonwealth Games from July 28 to August 8.

The ASEAN Para Games were initially to be hosted by Vietnam in 2021. Because of the pandemic, it was unexpectedly postponed to 2022 before Vietnam decided to drop the event.

In February, Indonesia asked to host the Games from July 23-30 before being pushed to the new dates.

Solo, which previously hosted the sixth Para Games in 2011, will welcome almost 1,500 athletes participating in 14 sports of athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, CP football, chess, goalball, judo, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair tennis, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

It has been five years since the last Para Games in 2017 in Malaysia. The 10th edition was cancelled by the Philippines due to financial shortage.

Source: VNA