Just two years after Singapore hosted the ASEAN Para Games (APG) for the very first time, ActiveSG has seen over 200 persons with disabilities undergo the Yes! I Can entry-level disability sports programme. Persons with visual impairment who were brought together to form the goalball team for APG continue to train and compete for Singapore, while a new wheelchair rugby community group was formed. Such is the legacy of the 8th APG, an event that brought together the region’s best para-athletes to inspire Singaporeans of all abilities to live better through sport.
Photo:
Sport Singapore
Come 3 to 5 August 2018, the second edition of the Inclusive Sports Festival (ISF), one of GetActive! Singapore’s disability-friendly events, will bring together Singaporeans of all abilities through a programme jam packed with adaptive sports, fitness and equipment tryouts, and workshops.
Think adaptive climbing by Climb Central and canoeing with the Singapore Canoe Federation – ISF hopes to serve up new and unique sport experiences for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the hope of encouraging PWDs to become active.
Sharing more about the event, event lead Stefanie Ang, said: “ISF is about advocating for the disability community. Everyone is differently abled, and we are using sport as a method through which we promote inclusivity and foster understanding amongst persons of all abilities.”
The event will be supported by volunteers trained by AWWA, a long running and experienced organisation in the social services community.
Ang explained: “We have much to learn from AWWA as they have been working with the disability and senior community for many years. Their expertise in providing disability awareness training for our volunteers will not only ensure that our event is ready to support the disability community, but also provide skills and knowledge that volunteers can use beyond their time at ISF.”
While the focus of the event will be serving the PWD community and educating the public about para sports, Ang stressed that it was also important to promote the Paralympic movement so PWDs are aware of how they can take their sporting interests further if they wish to turn competitive. To achieve that, ISF has engaged Boccia Paralympian Nurulasyiqah Taha to conduct the ‘Be a Proud Paralympian’ course to drum up interest in and support for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
There will also be fundraising activities led by event partner Innervate Fitness to raise funds for SportCares Foundation, Sport Singapore’s philanthropic arm that provides value-added sports programmes for the underserved community.
She concluded: “Ultimately, it is about getting people from different communities to live better through sport. Beyond starting an active lifestyle, ISF hopes to show how persons of all abilities can bond together as one.”
Join us with your family and friends at Inclusive Sports Festival 2018! The event takes place from 3 to 5 August at the Singapore Sports Hub, 1000h to 1900h daily. Stay tuned to the @myActiveSG Facebook page for all the updates.
