Asian Para Games Athletes` Arrival Peak on September 30
25 September 2018 15:40 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (INAPGOC) estimated the peak of athletes` arrival in Soekarno-Hatta airport, Tangerang, Banten, would be on September 30 despite the games would kick-off on October 6. Asian Para Games (APG) athletes would first present themselves for the classification before the competition begins.
“Delegations from Bahrain will first arrive here on Saturday, September 29, followed by other athletes and the peak of arrival is expected to occur on September 30,” INAPGOC chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari said Tuesday, Sept. 25, in a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta airport.
Okto mentioned Asian Para Games athletes would arrive starting at 4 p.m until 7 p.m, with some 20 wheelchairs carried in each aircraft. “Our biggest challenge is on the electric wheelchair as it weighs 100-130 kilograms. And there will be a total of 100 wheelchairs,” he added.
Read: 4,000 Athletes to Participate in Asian Para Games
Meanwhile, state-owned airport operator AP II, according to Okto, had prepared three elevators with the total capacity of 32 wheelchairs. “The airport has already had disability-friendly facilities, but we may not ready to welcome 1,100 wheelchairs or 2,838 disabled athletes simultaneously. INAPGOC and Soekarno-Hatta airport community will ensure services to cater the delegates,” Okto said.
In addition to accommodating athletes with wheelchairs, INAPGOC and AP II would prepare golf cars for athletes using crutches.
The 2018 Asian Para Games would take place in Jakarta on October 6-13, participated by 41 countries with a total of 2,800 athletes, 1,800 officials, and 500 media. As many as 18 sports branches would be held including basketball, volleyball, fencing, table tennis, swimming, shooting, judo, cycling, chess, weightlifting, bowling, goalball, badminton, running, archery, boccia, lawn ball, and tennis.
ANTARA