Following its success co-hosting the 2018 Asian Games, Jakarta still has one more massive regional sporting event to host in a month’s time: the 2018 Asian Para Games.
After a meeting with ministers to discuss preparations for the multi-sport competition at the Bogor State Palace this morning, President Joko Widodo said he has explicitly requested that disabled citizens be given special consideration in order to be able to watch the games.
“I want free access for disabled citizens to watch Asian Para Games matches,” President Jokowi told reporters today, as quoted by Liputan 6.
Sports and Youth Minister Imam Nahrawi said the ministry will fulfill the president’s request, but said that the free tickets will be distributed to registered disabled communities to avoid fraud.
The Indonesian Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (Inapgoc) says the communities chosen to receive free tickets will be determined using data from the Social Ministry.
“Those who are physically [disabled] can be easily identified, but deaf, mute people are more difficult to identify,” Inapgoc Chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari said, as quoted by CNN Indonesia today.
Raja added that Asian Para Games ticket prices for the general public will likely be cheaper than Asian Games tickets.
Unlike the 2018 Asian Games, which were co-hosted by Jakarta and Palembang, the 2018 Asian Para Games will only take place in the Indonesian capital. The Para Games will see around 2,800 disabled athletes from 42 Asian countries competing in 18 sports.
The 2018 Asian Para Games will go from October 6-13.
