Unraveling ASEAN Para Games: To Pursue a Path towards Inclusivity

Written by: Nadya Marshanda & Salsabila Nada N.

Introduction

Following Vietnam’s withdrawal as the 2022 ASEAN Para Games host, Indonesia stepped up to host the upcoming biannual event in Solo, Central Java. The ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) finalized this decision on the 16th of February 2022, during the virtual 26th Board of Governors meeting attended by 10 ASEAN member states. Previously, the event was scheduled to be held on the 17th to 23rd of December 2021 in Hanoi, Vietnam, with 11 sports branches contested among athletes from 11 nations. However, the pandemic crisis drove Vietnam’s decision not to hold APG 2022, alongside the postponement of the ASEAN Para Games 2022.

Now, the 11th ASEAN Para Games is slated to occur from 23rd to 30th of July 2022 with a possibility of additional sports events, as Indonesia is planning to have 14 sports on its calendar. The proposed sports include Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Cerebral Palsy Football, Chess, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Swimming, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Tennis and the newly proposed Sitting Volleyball. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the Governor of Solo, was appointed as the head of Indonesia ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee (INASPOC) 2022.

ASEAN Para Games as a claimed inclusive event then becomes important to discuss because the efforts made by ASEAN areto represent disabled communities in sports. Exploring the dynamics of pursuing inclusivity and the impacts of the ASEAN Para Games are the key elements of this article. Therefore, this article will discuss the several impacts of the ASEAN Para Games in the host country, followed by the efforts shown by ASEAN to pursue inclusivity and the concerns within para-athletes. Lastly, this article will try to uncover future opportunities and challenges of the ASEAN Para Games.

Brief History

Since the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) formation in 2001, the ASEAN Para Games has been continuously held biannually. The Games is the most awaited sports festival for para-athletes across ASEAN, allowing those with visual disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mobility disabilities, or other forms of disabilities to compete in a fair and equal competition. The beginning of APSF formation dates back to the 1990s when Dato’ Zainal Abu Zarin from Malaysia searched for a medium to facilitate sports for people with disability. After meeting officials from other ASEAN National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), he initiated the establishment of the ASEAN Para Games. During the 10th Malaysian Para Games in May 2000, the APSF was finally formed. In the following year, Dato’ Zainal was elected as the 1st President of APSF while Malaysia organized the first-ever ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur. Since then, ASEAN Para Games are traditionally hosted by the host of SEA Games, supervised by the International Paralympic Committee and the Asian Paralympic Committee. Currently, APSF has 10 members-nation and a provisional member (Timor Leste) whose athletes participate during the event.

The Mixed Blessing of Hosting an International Sporting Event

Behind the festivities, sportsmanship, or tear-jerking moments during matches, there is an inevitable cost to ensure a smooth-running event. The exact condition applies to ASEAN Para Games as hosting an international game might be a double-edged sword. Yet, cities still bid to host such events due to the prospect of positive impacts in several sectors.

One of the immediate effects can be seen in the sports tourism industry. Quoted from Orbis (2018), the sports tourism industry is worth more than USD800 billion globally. Hritz & Ross (2010) also analyzed sports tourism as one of the largest and fastest-growing businesses within the travel and tourism industry (LPEM-FEBUI, 2019). In ASEAN, sports tourism grows through a variety of events. The 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok was estimated to generate 590 million baht of surplus (Yu, 2004). Malaysia was also among the first member nations to promote sports tourism through F1 in 1999 (Edrak, Nor, and Maamon, 2016). In 2016, it generated a minimum of $380 million in extra revenue, earning Malaysia more than six times the $58.1 million needed to hold the race. In a study regarding the 30th Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines, the sports event is indicated to have a positive correlation with the Philippines domestic stock market performance (Harjito, Alam, and Dewi, 2021). A national-level event also generates a comparable outcome. During the 2018 Manado Fiesta held in Manado, Indonesia, travelers’ length of stay extended to 6–7 days. Alongside other events within a close time frame, such as TIFF and MURI Bayangkari, hotel occupancy rates boosted to about 98% (Lagarense, Hidayah, & Abdillah, 2019). The examples highlight how economic activities potentially rise from games-related expenditure as demands for goods and services in the city rise from the arrival of tourists. Another economic benefit is job creation. Additional workers in the construction industry are essential in order to complete the games-related infrastructure while those in the tourism and service sectors need to cater to the influx of visitors. However, the skyrocketing demand of the workforce might also be a temporary effect, which could not be calculated as the rise of permanent jobs (Yu, 2004).

With many eyes watching the city, a multinational sports event also creates momentum to accelerate infrastructure development, urban regeneration, and network expansion. These programs enhance a city’s international image and become a foundation of crucial long-term physical improvements. Although, cities should carefully assess infrastructure sustainability if they choose to do “expenditure switching,” which is funding games-related infrastructure with funds originally designated for other public projects (Yu, 2004). On other hand, maintaining the benefits of hosting a sporting event requires additional measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. An action plan consisting of risk mitigation strategies may increase assurance among visitors. Incorporating virtual or hybrid events will also be a part of new normal conditions which enable spectators from any location to enjoy the games. However, a certain set of technological skills is needed to maintain a realism level that makes the experience feel credible (Daniel and Tichawaa, 2021).

Besides economical advantages, hosting the event also brings social benefits. As a community event, it brings people from various backgrounds together to pursue a common goal of a successful event (Yu, 2004). Both local residents and tourists can participate as spectators, while various community events such as torch relay and arts festivals encourage residents to be more invested in the games. Thus, it may strengthen social cohesion among individuals and promote inclusivity. In addition, host cities can include the event as a model to educate students about team spirits and participating in sports itself.

Formulating Inclusivity within ASEAN Para Games

ASEAN has shown its efforts to create adequate and suitable schemes to develop opportunities for para-athletes. The efforts can be seen both on a regional and domestic level, related to the needs of para-athletes while competing in the Para Games itself. On the regional level, ASEAN shows its keen interest in developing the ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2016–2020, which is the driving force to the ASEAN Seminar on the Promotion of Paralympic Movement. Quoted from the ASEAN Secretariat (2017), the seminar covered contemporary developments, concerns of para-athletes, and new measures to assist the growth of para-athletes that may be replicated throughout the ASEAN region. As the basis of the seminar, ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2016–2020 includes two key elements related to this seminar, which are raising ASEAN awareness via sports activities that bring ASEAN people together to engage with communities and boosting ASEAN people’s resilience through healthy lives (ASEAN Secretariat, 2017).

Technical-related efforts are also shown through the main priorities of the 8th ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (AGPOC), such as increasing the availability of disabled-friendly transportation and lodging amenities and services (Wong, 2014). The organising committee provides accessible transportation to mobilize for the para-athletes. The installation of ramps on buses and trains makes boarding and alighting easier for athletes who use wheelchairs, and official hotels will have disabled-friendly services (Wong, 2014). These efforts of providing fundamental needs of para-athletes created a perception that the responsible sports body in ASEAN, namely the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF), had done well in including the disabled community in sport.

At the domestic level, inclusivity can also be seen through the equal prize money for para-athletes that can achieve some medals, the same as athletes in general. In Indonesia, the government ensures that it would give the same prize to medal winners at the 2020 ASEAN Para Games. The nominal amount of the prize is the same as the 2019 SEA Games medal winners. Deputy III for Sport Culture of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Raden Isnanta added that the government is prepared to allocate a bonus budget regardless of the amount for the contingent of the ASEAN Para Games 2020 Indonesia (Setyawatie, 2019).

However, inclusivity is always going to face some concerns. Coming from the athletes’ equipment, the development of sports equipment has raised a gap between athletes. Wong (2008) emphasized that the impact of contemporary athletic equipment has tipped the playing field in favour of those with more financial resources. Racing wheelchairs, for example, have progressed from heavy four-wheelers to the current aerodynamic three-wheeled racing chairs that are incredibly light. These chairs range in price from $10,000 to $20,000, while a typical lower knee amputee running leg costs between US$15 000 and US$30 000 in the running prosthesis. The high cost of this equipment has rendered it unaffordable for most people in ASEAN, except for a few well-funded athletes (Wong, 2008).

The inability to afford advanced sports equipment for certain athletes can limit their opportunities to showcase their potential in sports fully. This will also lead to the possibility of accidents or restrictions on athletes who do not have such sports equipment. With these limitations, the essence of inclusiveness has not been achieved even though many instruments have been provided both in the realm of the region and the host country. The scope of inclusivity then goes abroad to provide proper infrastructure and the personal needs of para-athletes.

The visible solution in tackling these concerns is drawn through sponsors or fund programs. For example, in Singapore, para-athletes are being sponsored to help them develop. Haw Par Corporation, which has adopted Singapore’s boccia squad and funded a variety of Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) programs since 2015, is one of the sponsors that has worked closely with SDSC. SDSC has received a total contribution of S$845,000 (Mohan, 2021). The fund received from sponsors can be used to assist para-athletes not only in the technical and equipment aspects but also in coaching as well as training. It is indeed important to highlight that sponsor and fund programs become crucial in addressing the issue, however, the Para Games committee should also make their own contribution to eradicate the gap between para-athletes by making regulations which can include equal capabilities of para-athletes. The regulations shall be able to cover adequate requirements and equipment that are accessible for all para-athletes so that they can participate in the event without another burden. Therefore, para-athletes will be able to showcase their potential in Para Games equally.

Future Opportunities and Challenges

ASEAN Para Games holds several opportunities by not forgetting to prioritize the para-athletes; the sports event opens chances and room to promote voices against discrimination of disability. This will, in the meantime, shift the Southeast Asian ill-perception towards the disabled community, considering how discrimination targeted to the disabled community is still very much a part of Southeast Asia’s societal fabric. Wong (2015) quoted that the idea is still prevalent in ASEAN culture, such as the reluctance to let people know if their children are disabled. However, this mindset is gradually changing, and the Para Games have aided in this process. The event also opens opportunities to revive the host country’s economy, including several sectors (UNS, 2022). The sports infrastructure will surely be enhanced and improved, highlighting how it is inextricably linked to the infrastructure necessary for the disabled community (UNS, 2022). In the tourism sector itself, the hotel industry’s advantages are due to the increased accommodation occupancy by ASEAN Para Games participants, including athletes, coaches, and officials (UNS, 2022). The host country or city will also receive opportunities to get exposure.

However, challenges will also arise in the middle of several opportunities. Host countries’ capability to provide appropriate infrastructure for the para-athletes comes as a fundamental challenge considering how the country has to ensure infrastructure readiness. If the infrastructure is not prepared properly, it will limit the para-athletes to participate well in the event. The issue then becomes a crucial aspect for the host country to note. Furthermore, although the event can be a medium to amplify voices against discrimination, people and society are important actors to disseminate the message. People’s internalized perception of disability is a long-standing issue that has to be tackled, to begin with. Therefore, challenges related to ASEAN Para Games are essentially challenges related to society in general.

The stakeholders can make several efforts to accommodate the challenges. At the domestic level, the government can conduct research and collaborate with relevant institutions that represent disabled communities to generate a comprehensive scheme to assist the para-athletes. In addition, the government can also provide a platform to disseminate voices against discrimination and inclusive access for disabled communities to engage. Furthermore, as a part of society, we, as citizens, can play our role to help amplify voices against discrimination towards disabled communities, such as using social media, activism, and other forms of relevant instruments.

Conclusion

As one of ASEAN’s efforts to unite the disabled communities in sports, ASEAN Para Games has a long record of the claimed inclusive event since the establishment of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation. The evolution of ASEAN Para Games to increase the inclusion of featured sports each time it is held can be seen as an attempt to intensify the scope of sports that para-athletes can participate. The biannual sports event also benefits several sectors such as tourism, economy, and as far as the host country exposure. Although the event itself appears to promote inclusivity towards the disabled community, there are still rocks and pebbles faced by ASEAN as an institution and community. The scope of inclusivity then goes abroad to provide proper infrastructure and the personal needs of para-athletes. Therefore, society plays an important role in amplifying voices in eradicating discrimination against the disabled community through ASEAN Para Games.

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