Celebration of the human spirit

Thu, October 4, 2018 / 03:43 pm

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A sitting discus thrower prepares for the 2018 Asian Para Games in a training session. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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Athletes have a fun session with high school students in Surakarta, Central Java. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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National basketball players show off their skills during a wheelchair basketball session at SMP 1 state junior high school in Surakarta. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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A visually impaired runner jogs alongside his chaperone during a training session. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan]
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Sutarno throws his shot put during a training session at the Sriwedari Stadion in Surakarta. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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A wheelchair racer takes a break between practice sessions. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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Athletes have fun between their training sessions. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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A wheelchair fencer waits for his sword to be fixed. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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Wheelchair fencers train prior to the Asian Para Games. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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Wheelchair fencing equipment lies on the floor during a training session. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan
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An athlete stretches, helped by her teammate, before the start of a training session. JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan

Maksum Nur Fauzan

After successfully hosting the 2018 Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2, Jakarta will once again host a multinational sports event — the Asian Para Games — from Oct. 6 to 13.

The Asian Para Games is a celebration of testing the human limits by featuring disabled athletes from 42 countries across Asia.

Under the theme, The Inspiring Spirit and Energy of Asia, athletes will compete in 19 different sports, including athletics, badminton, archery, chess, bicycling, judo, weightlifting, swimming, bowling, table tennis, basketball, fencing, tennis and volleyball.

There are 568 golds to be won and the athletic events remain the most competitive and dominant sports to compete in by featuring 714 athletes from 39 countries.

For this year’s Asian Para Games, Indonesia has set a target of a top-eight finish in the final medals tally. This target comes as no surprise as Indonesian athletes topped the final standings among Southeast Asian nations during the 2017 Asean Para Games in Malaysia.

There is no better testament to the will of exceeding expectations and the will to compete than the Asian Para Games as disabled athletes overcome their physical limitations to achieve their dream of winning a gold medal. For this reason alone, the quadrennial event should not be overlooked by sports fans.