KUCHING: Around 800 para swimmers from 80 countries are expected to take part in the World Para Swimming Championship 2019.
The competition will be held from July 29 to August 4, 2019 at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre here.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth, and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Kuching will be the first city to host the competition.
He added that this also meant that the infrastructures and facilities would have to be up to the international standards for these athletes.
“We have to be prepared to take in these athletes as we want to show them the beautiful Kuching city and what it can offer to them.
“We don’t want them to be seen as less capable than others, so the facilities have got to be properly done to make it less difficult for them.
“It needs to be taken to mind that we must cater for things like this in the future,” he said while officiating the countdown to the competition at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre here yesterday.
Also present at the launching were Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports, Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Deputy President of the Paralympic Council of Malaysia, John Ng Keng Chuan.
There will be four main categories of para swimmers who will take part in the competition; physically disabled (amputees and Les Autres), visually impaired (blindness), cerebral palsy (spastic), and intellectually disabled for both men and women.
The competition will also see many Paralympic and world champion medalists taking part such as Jessica Long (USA) and Sophie Pascoe (New Zealand).
