Warm Greetings and a Happy New Year to all NPCs, athletes, coaches, officials, stakeholders and supporters of the ASEAN paralympic movement!

What a year it was as we finally close another chapter in our region’s paralympic journey, leaving us with good memories and valuable lessons as we prepare ourselves for fresh challenges in the new year.

Following a challenging two years, we have managed to bounce back stronger with the successful staging of the 11th ASEAN Para Games Solo 2022, delivering memorable moments, providing our athletes who have been yearning to see action in a highly-competitive Games, after a lapse of four years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Let’s put our hands together and congratulate Indonesia and our dedicated friends at the Indonesia ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (INAPGOC) and the good people in Solo for organising and successfully delivering the Solo 2022 Games. While we hope that 2023 continues to inspire us with even greater milestones, we must remain vigilant and wary of the challenges ahead.

As we brace ourselves for another journey in 2023, we must constantly remind ourselves not to take things for granted, in sports, and more importantly, in life. The effect of Covid-19 has greatly impacted our community, athletes and sports, but we remained steadfast and succeeded in our struggle for equality as well as fight in the fight against discrimination on our athletes and sports. “United we stand, divided we fall”, and the success of the Solo Games should spur us to work harder in one voice to ensure that the upcoming 12th ASEAN Games in Cambodia in June 2023, will deliver even greater success.

APSF remains devoted to the endeavour to ensure that our 11-member nation movement and Games continue to be relevant, dynamic and able to adapt to face future challenges, namely in the next four cycles of the ASEAN Para Games in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029.

On behalf of APSF, I wish to thank all 11 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and their officials for continuously working to raise awareness and championing the cause of our movement, producing world-class athletes and ensuring their welfare and development in sports and life.

Let’s remain focussed on continuing to build our strength, work collectively to ensure the smooth and successful organisation of the historical 12th ASEAN Para Games in June 2023, the first ever to be staged by Cambodia. Preparation is well on track and I am sure that contingents from all member nations are eagerly looking forward to converging once again in the region’s biggest para sporting extravaganza in Phnom Penh.

On behalf of the APSF Board of Governors, Executive Committee and the APSF Secretariat, I wish everyone a fruitful year ahead, a blessed and happy New Year! Thank You.

MAJ. GEN. OSOTH BHAVILAI

President

ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF)