KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Some 980 disabled athletes from Asean countries and Timor Leste will compete in the 5th Asean Para Games here from Aug 15-19.
Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games Organising Committee (KLAPGOC) chairman Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin said host Malaysia will send the largest contingent of 258 athletes.
Second is Thailand with 203 followed by Vietnam (116), Indonesia (99), Singapore (98), Philippines (60), Timor Leste (45), Myanmar (36), Brunei (30), Laos (24) and Cambodia (11).
"Malaysia will compete in all 11 sports followed by Philippines (10), Thailand (10), Singapore (9), Indonesia (7), Timor Leste (6), Myanmar (5), Laos (4), Brunei (3) and Cambodia (2)," he told reporters here Thursday.
Vietnam has not decided on the sports it will contest.
Some 1,500 medals await winners in athletics, swimming, badminton, ping pong, weightlifting, bowling, yachting, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair netball, sitting volleyball and chess.
Malaysia came in second overall at the 4th Asean Para Games at Korat, Thailand in 2007.
The 180 athletes returned with 82 gold, 74 silver and 46 bronze.
Zainal who is also Malaysian Paralympic president said all the sports will be held in Kuala Lumpur except for yachting at Admiral Marina and Leisure Club, Port Dickson.
The Asean Para Games was usually held after the SEA Games. Malaysia was the first host (2001) followed by Vietnam (2003), Philippines (2005) and Thailand (2007).
Financial difficulty forced Laos, host for the 25th SEA Games in Dec to withdraw from holding the Para Games and Malaysia was named as replacement.
