Para-athletes set for spotlight

Top-class para-athletes from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom enjoy celebrated status, but in Singapore, this is still a work in progress.

The 8th ASEAN Para Games, which will be held here from Dec 3 to 9, will be a prominent stage for Singapore's para-athletes to showcase their talent.

And they will have the Community Chest behind them.

At the National Stadium yesterday, the Community Chest was revealed as the official partners of the Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (SAPGOC).

Lim Teck Yin, chief executive officer of Sport Singapore and the chairman of the SAPGOC executive committee, said: "The 8th ASEAN Para Games will be the catalyst for the Community Chest's Care & Share Movement to engage the community about the value of sport.

"We hope to inspire Singaporeans through the spirit and abilities of para athletes and uplift the participation in disability sports.

"As Community Chest has been doing a wonderful job over the years to raise funds for those in need, we are excited to have it as our partner."

The partnership will see a dollar-for-dollar scheme between the two parties to benefit unfortunate Singaporeans.

PROCEEDS

SAPGOC will be donating proceeds from the sale of ASEAN Para Games merchandise to Community Chest, and the same amount collected will be matched by the Government under the Care & Share Movement.

The amount accumulated by both parties will eventually be donated to the Community Chest's Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), like the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore.

SAPGOC hopes to clinch $5 million in sponsorship as it ramps up preparations for the first ASEAN Para Games to be hosted in Singapore.

"There has been promising signs from current discussions (with members of the business community), and it can help to bring awareness to the para-sports scene," said Lim.

"It is also the nation's jubilee year, so the ASEAN Para Games will be a fitting wrap to 2015."

Shuttler Tay Wei Ming welcomed the partnership, and said: "It's a very good collaboration, because it can help push the popularity of disability sports and let every Singaporean be a part of it, in one way or another.

"The other para-athletes and I are really very grateful and fortunate to have this support from the Government and, hopefully, the public as well."

This article was first published on April 23, 2015.
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