The opening and closing ceremonies of the 12th ASEAN Para Games 2023 promise to be as impressive as they were for the 32nd SEA Games, Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed on Wednesday at the inauguration of Russey Keo Bridge and Flyover.
The 12th ASEAN Para Games will be held in Phnom Penh from June 3 to 9, with 1,453 athletes from 11 countries expected to participate in the games.
“With only three days left, the ASEAN Para Games will begin. I urge everyone to pay attention to supporting sports for the disabled, which is a great incentive for them,” the Prime Minister said.
“The opening and closing ceremonies will be as impressive as the SEA Games and its fireworks. We encourage our people with disabilities. We encourage people with disabilities within the ASEAN framework to do their best.”
According to the National Paralympic Committee of Cambodia (NPCC), the largest delegation will be from Thailand with 304 athletes.
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Indonesia follows with 275 athletes, Cambodia with 252 athletes, the Philippines with 174 athletes, Malaysia with 133 athletes, Vietnam with 128 athletes, Myanmar with 83 athletes, Laos with 43 athletes, Singapore with 26 athletes, Brunei with 20 athletes, and Timor-Leste with 13 athletes.
A total of 1,239 coaches and technical officials will also attend the games. Cambodia has 343 sports delegates, including 252 athletes and 91 technical officials.
The Prime Minister, who was disabled due to the loss of one eye during the war, said, "Disability is only a physical disability, not a mental disability."
The Cambodian premier stated that the budget of $118 million for both the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games is sufficient. However, he reiterated that if additional funds are required for organizing the events, the government is willing to make additional contributions.
According to Yi Veasna, NPCC Secretary General, there are optimistic expectations for Cambodia to achieve a significant increase in medals at the upcoming games.
Veasna said, “We anticipate Cambodia will win 56 medals, surpassing the 28 medals earned in the 11th ASEAN Para Games held in Indonesia in 2022.”
Furthermore, it is expected that Cambodia will secure the sixth position on the medal tally out of the 11 participating countries, he added.
Cambodia achieved a remarkable feat at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games held in Indonesia, securing a total of 28 medals. This impressive tally includes seven gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals.
More than 500 national and international journalists have registered to cover the 12th ASEAN Para Games, including more than 100 international journalists, as reported by Cambodia2023 on May 30.
The 12th ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia will comprise 13 sports and one demonstration sport, including athletics, swimming, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, table tennis, badminton, football for the blind, football for the intellectually impaired, wheelchair basketball, weightlifting, judo, Boccia, chess, and e-sports. In total, there are 429 events.
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