By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The 10th ASEAN Para Games, which the country will be hosting in October, has been officially canceled by the ASEAN Para Sports Federation.
In a letter dated May 8, Major General Osoth Bhavilai, president of APSF, said they are canceling the event for athletes with disabilities after taking into consideration the letter by the Philippine Sports Commission that calls for the postponement of all sporting activities for the year due to global health crisis brought by coronavirus (COVID-19).
Philippine ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee chairman Mike Barredo forwarded that letter about this development to the APSF along with a copy of National Budget Circular 580 dated April 22.
“We, APSF, would like to thank the Philippines for all efforts taken prior to the games for the preparation. We appreciate why such decision need to be made,” Bhavilai said.
Bhavilai said the APSF will hold a virtual Board of Governors Meeting soon to facilitate the necessary steps in moving forward with this development.
The event has been postponed twice, first due to technical reasons, then second, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to the cancellation, the Para Games was supposed to take place on Oct. 3 to 9.
Apart from the Para Games, the PSC also cancelled all scheduled local tournaments for the remainder of the year. These events include the Philippine National Games and the Philippine Youth Games-Batang Pinoy.
“Pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation No. 922 declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines and the evolving COVID-19 situation in the country, the PSC informed the public that the PNG and PYG-BP for calendar year 2020 has been cancelled,” PSC executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy said in a statement.
PNG is a multisport event serving as a qualifier to the national team while the PYG-BP is the government sports agency’s grassroots program for 15 years old and below.
