Bahrain to host Asian Youth Para Games next year
Nine disciplines scheduled to be held across several venues from December 1-10
Dubai: Bahrain will host the next edition of the Asian Youth Para Games from December 1-10, 2021.
The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) Wednesday made the announcement that the fourth edition of the Asian Youth Para Games will be organised in conjunction with the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain and with support of the local government.
Organisers expect an estimated 800 athletes under-20 years to compete in nine disciplines, including Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Goalball, Para Taekwondo, Powerlifting, Swimming, Table Tennis and Wheelchair Basketball during the ten days of the event.
The competition is scheduled to take place across numerous venues in Khalifa Sports City, a multi-use stadium in Isa Town, and Isa Sports City, the national indoor sports facility.
APC President Majid Rashid Al Usaimi was pleased with Bahrain taking the initiative to host such a prestigious event. “The APC’s new vision is to ‘Make for an inclusive Asia through Para-sport’ and I can think of no better place to start achieving that than with the region’s youth,” he noted.
“We’re delighted that the NPC of Bahrain has put together such a strong bid to host the Games and we offer our thanks to them and their government for supporting the next generation of Asian para-athletes. Providing opportunities for young para-athletes to compete in a multi-sport environment will hopefully inspire them to continue on their sporting journey which may lead ultimately to the Paralympic Games,” the Dubai-based official added.
This will be the first time that the Kingdom of Bahrain will be hosting such a large scale para-sport event and the NPC is determined to use the games as a platform to develop the Paralympic movement in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Chairman of the Bahrain Paralympic Committee, Shaikh Mohammed Bin Duaij Al Khalifa said: “We are proud and honoured to have won the bid to host the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is a testament to our mission of providing the infra structure for people with impairments to continue integrating them into society, nurture their abilities, and position our nation at the forefront of the Paralympic movement.”