FESPIC Games

FESPIC Games
MottoOvercoming Challenges, Inspiring Others
First event1975
Occur everyFour years
Last event2006 FESPIC Games in Kuala Lumpur
PurposeMulti-sport event for disable of the Asia-Pacific Region
HeadquartersJapan
PresidentDr. Kazuo Hatada
WebsiteFESPIC Federation

The FESPIC Games[1] or the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, was a multi-sport event in Asia and the South Pacific region which is considered to be a precursor to the Asian Para Games, as two of its edition games in 1999 (7th) and 2002 (8th) were held parallel to the 1998 Asian Games and the 2002 Asian Games.

The event which started in 1975 was held nine times,[2] and last contested in December 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3]

Objectives

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  • To promote general interest and welfare for the disabled in the region through participation in sports events and other activities
  • To deepen mutual understanding and friendship of the disabled
  • To promote rehabilitation for the disabled in the region through sports activities

History

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The first FESPIC Games was held in Oita, Japan in 1975. There were limited opportunities for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific to participate in sports at the time. The FESPIC Games was launched to address this issue and promote understanding toward disabled persons in each country, as well as improve their social welfare.

The number of participant countries increased during FESPIC history. Central Asian countries Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan, first participated in the 7th FESPIC Games in 1999. The Middle Eastern countries were allowed to compete in the 9th FESPIC Games in 2006, along with East Timor. Middle East countries were previously not allowed to compete in FESPIC Games from 1975 to 2002 because these countries were Africa/Middle Eastern members.

List of FESPIC Games

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Host cities of the FESPIC Games

Of all the nine editions of the FESPIC Games, two of them, the 1999 and 2002 editions were held in the same host city as the Asian Games. The 9th FESPIC Games was the last and final edition of the series which took place in 2006.[4] For Asian countries, the FESPIC Games was replaced by the Asian Para Games, starting with the inaugural 2010 Asian Para Games which was held in Guangzhou, China after the 16th Asian Games.

Edition Year Host City Host Nation Start Date End Date Nations Competitors
1 1975 Oita  Japan 1 June 3 June 18 973
2 1977 Parramatta  Australia 20 November 26 November 16 430
3 1982 Sha Tin  Hong Kong 31 October 7 November 23 744
4 1986 Solo  Indonesia 31 August 7 September 19 834
5 1989 Kobe  Japan 15 September 20 September 41 1,646
6 1994 Beijing  China 4 September 10 September 42 2,081
7 1999 Bangkok  Thailand 10 January 16 January 34 2,258
8 2002 Busan  South Korea 26 October 1 November 40 2,199
9 2006 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 25 November 1 December 46 3,641

Youth Games

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One Youth Games was held in Hong Kong and serves as the precursor to the Asian Youth Para Games.

Year Host City Host Nation Start Date End Date Nations Competitors
2003 Kowloon-Sha Tin  Hong Kong 24 December 27 December 15 584

Sports

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What is FESPIC Games?". Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
  2. ^ Closure of FESPIC Federation Archived June 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ 9th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC) Games
  4. ^ FESPIC closure notice
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