History in the Making – 8th ASEAN Para Games

2015 has been a significant year for Singapore, having celebrated our 50th birthday and hosting the 28th South East Asian Games (SEA Games). Bookending the year will come another milestone [...]

2015 has been a significant year for Singapore, having celebrated our 50th birthday and hosting the 28th South East Asian Games (SEA Games). Bookending the year will come another milestone when Singapore hosts our first ASEAN Para Games from 3 to 9 December.

There will be 15 sports in this 8th edition of the biennial games which was first started in 2001, making it the biggest multi-sports event in Singapore for persons with disabilities. Adopting the theme ‘Celebrate the Extraordinary’, the games serve as a platform for enhancing inclusiveness, encouraging people with disabilities to embrace sports.

We take this opportunity to showcase two of the athletes whom SPD is supporting through our programmes.

Mohammed Hussain Bin Abdul Jabbar, 56 years old

Hussain has poliomyelitis and moves around using a manual wheelchair. He joined SPD in 2003 and has been a craftsman at the SPD Sheltered Workshop, doing bookbinding and making customised photo frames and albums. The active father of two is outgoing and plays many sports. Hussain will be representing Singapore in wheelchair basketball at the Games.

Claire Toh, 22 years old

Claire was paralysed after a fall when she was 19 years old and requires a wheelchair to get around. After her rehabilitation, she started on various sports including hand-cycling and table tennis. She enjoyed every bit of the action and eventually decided to focus on table tennis. While it was a sport she enjoyed playing when in primary school, table tennis has taken on a new meaning in Claire’s life now that she will be representing Singapore in it at the Games.

For more information on the 8th ASEAN Para Games and competition timings, log on to www.aseanparagames2015.com.

Go Team Singapore!