ASEAN Nations Join Hands To Form The ASEAN Disability Sailing Federation

ASEAN Nations Join Hands To Form The ASEAN Disability Sailing Federation

ASEAN nations have come together to form the first-ever regional disability sports body - the ASEAN Disability Sailing Federation (ADSF), marking a major milestone in the development of disability sports in the region.

A total of 20 delegates and disabled sailors from ASEAN congregated in Singapore for the inaugural assembly. The federation seeks to enhance ASEAN solidarity through promoting disability sailing, and fostering closer working relationships and professionalism among its ASEAN members.

The federation's secretariat will be based in Singapore, a location that provides the ADSF with strategic networking opportunities and connectivity to other Asian nations. The ADSF will also operate in a favourable, pro-sports climate, with the Singapore government committed to developing the sports industry through world-class facilities and training of qualified sports professionals.

"The successful formation of the ASEAN Disability Sailing Federation signifies the progress of the Singapore sports scene, while the federation's choice of Singapore as its base further bolsters the nation's credentials as the venue of choice for sports federations," said Mr Oon Jin Teik, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Sports Council. "Our strategic location as a gateway to ASEAN and the rest of Asia, our leading physical infrastructure and soft skills, as well as Singapore's reliable and skilled workforce, make us an attractive base for international federations. Moving forward, we hope to see more federations making Singapore the base to grow and develop their sport."

Says Mr Tan Ju Seng, President of the Singapore Disability Sports Council, "I hope the setting up of this Federation will pave the way for other sports to similarly establish themselves and spread the awareness of disability sports beyond the shores of Singapore."

The ADSF's immediate focus is to introduce sailing programmes for the disabled and increase participation in the region. Longer term, the federation will oversee the strategic growth of the sport. This will be done through funding, sanctioning sailing competitions held within ASEAN and encouraging participation from female and young disabled sailors.

As a pioneer of disability sailing in Asia, Singapore is in a good position to offer its technical expertise to help the federation achieve its goals. "As the birthplace of Sailability in ASEAN, Singapore is equipped with the technical know-how to help other countries develop disabled sailing. To date, we have already funded and assisted Malaysia and the Philippines, and are ready to take on a bigger role in developing disabled sports in ASEAN and Asia," said Mr Frankie Thanapal Sinniah, PBM, newly elected President of ADSF and Chairman of Sailability Singapore.

The establishment of the ADSF builds upon the first International Foundation of Disabled Sailing (IFDS) - Young Enabled Sailor (YES) Asia Sailing Conference that was held in November last year, the first regional conference for disabled sailing to be held in Asia that attracted over 70 delegates from 30 countries. A pro tem committee emerged from the conference to spearhead the creation of ASDF.