Indonesia prepares to host ASEAN Para Games

Central Java, January 26 (ANTARA) - Solo city, Central Java is preparing to host the 2022 ASEAN Para Games from July 20–31, 2022, with officials studying the event budget, accommodation, and venue, Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka said on Wednesday. According to Raka, the facilities prepared for the event are adequate, and the committee will talk about the games' budget next week. The preparations are still in the early stages, he said. However, the arena or venue and hotels for the ASEAN Para Games have begun to be readied, such as the Manahan Stadium in Solo, he informed. "But the time is not enough for preparing the indoor sports building," Raka said. Further, he predicted that almost all hotels in Solo would be occupied with guests, with the total number of athletes reaching three thousand. He said he will discuss the sponsors for the regional sports event with a minister next week. Solo city was officially designated as the host of the ASEAN Para Games in place of Vietnam, which decided to withdraw as host by a decree issued by the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) on January 14, 2022. Vietnam will now only hold the SEA Games from May 12–May 23, 2022. The 11th ASEAN Para Games will take place not only in Solo city, but also in some surrounding areas, Raka said. Meanwhile, chairman of the Indonesian Paralympic Committee (NPC), Senny Marbun, said that Indonesia will optimally prepare itself to host the ASEAN Para Games. "After the cancellation of the 2019 Philippines ASEAN Para Games and Vietnam's refusal to host in 2022, Mr. President took the decision to host, which was an extraordinary decision," Marbun remarked. NPC Indonesia has appointed Surakarta (Solo) Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka as chair of the ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee (INASPOC) 2022.