Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali officiated the 539-member Indonesian contingent for the 2022 XI ASEAN Para Games (APG) at Surakarta City Hall, Central Java, on Monday.
The minister also handed over the Indonesian flag to the Chef de Mission (CDM) of the Indonesian contingent, Andi Herman, symbolizing the country’s participation in the 2022 APG.
Amali said he hoped that the competing athletes will secure medals for the country as a result of their practice and emerge as champions at the 2022 APG.
“I hope all contingents are fully focused to compete in the 2022 APG,” he added.
The XI APG was supposed to take place in Vietnam, but it withdrew as host. Later, Indonesia was appointed to host the multi-event sport.
Amali said that he expected Indonesia to become the champion of the 2022 APG.
The development of the Indonesian Paralympic sports has been extraordinary, he noted. For instance, Indonesia placed 76th in the world at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“At the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo, Indonesia targeted the 60th rank. But now, we are at the 43rd rank in the world. That is extraordinary. I believe we can be the winners in this APG,” Amali said.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will provide full support to the Indonesian contingent, based on the direction of President Joko Widodo, who has created an equal policy for disabled and non-disabled athletes.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Chef de Mission Herman confirmed that the Indonesian contingent consists of 539 athletes and officials: 324 athletes from 14 sports disciplines, 14 managers, 83 coaches, 69 support staff, 1 CDM, 2 CDM representatives, 16 CDM members, 10 psychologists, 4 psychiatrists, 6 doctors, and 10 physiotherapists.
Herman informed that all athletes are currently in good health and ready to compete with athletes from ASEAN countries.
“We are targeting to become the overall champion in 2022 APG with 104 gold medals,” he emphasized.
Source: Antara News