980 DISABLED ATHLETES FOR ASEAN PARA GAMES

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Some 980 disabled athletes from Asean
countries and Timor Leste will compete in the 5th Asean Para Games here from Aug
15-19.

Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games Organising Committee (KLAPGOC) chairman Zainal
Abu Zarin said host Malaysia will send the largest contingent of 258
athletes.

Second is Thailand with 203 followed by Vietnam (116), Indonesia (99),
Singapore (98), Philippines (60), Timor Leste (45), Myanmar (36), Brunei (30),
Laos (24) and Cambodia (11).

"Malaysia will compete in all 11 sports followed by Philippines (10),
Thailand (10), Singapore (9), Indonesia (7), Timor Leste (6), Myanmar (5), Laos
(4), Brunei (3) and Cambodia (2)," he told reporters here Thursday.

Vietnam has not decided on the sports it will contest.

Some 1,500 medals await winners in athletics, swimming, badminton, ping
pong, weightlifting, bowling, yachting, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair netball,
sitting volleyball and chess.

Malaysia came in second overall at the 4th Asean Para Games at Korat,
Thailand in 2007.

The 180 athletes returned with 82 gold, 74 silver and 46 bronze.

Zainal who is also Malaysian Paralympic president said all the sports will
be held in Kuala Lumpur except for yachting at Admiral Marina and Leisure Club,
Port Dickson.

The Asean Para Games was usually held after the SEA Games. Malaysia was the
first host (2001) followed by Vietnam (2003), Philippines (2005) and Thailand
(2007).

Financial difficulty forced Laos, host for the 25th SEA Games in Dec to
withdraw from holding the Para Games and Malaysia was named as replacement.

-- BERNAMA