20th Gyeonggi Province Persons with Disabilities Life Sports Games Opens in Gapyeong…4,276 Athletes Compete in 19 Events
The 20th Gyeonggi Province Persons with Disabilities Life Sports Games opened on the 28th with an opening ceremony at Seo Island, Jara Island in Gapyeong County, and will run for two days through the 29th.
Under the slogan 'Healing Gapyeong, Inclusive Gyeonggi,' the games feature a total of 4,276 participants, including 1,957 athletes from 31 municipalities and counties, along with 2,319 guardians and officials.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said in her opening remarks, "You have all arrived at this moment today without giving up, practicing countless times, falling, and getting back up. I offer a hearty round of applause for your passion and determination as you have quietly worked to gradually expand your own boundaries."
Governor Choo further stated, "Life sports for persons with disabilities must become part of our daily lives so that people with disabilities can engage in the sports they want near their homes without great resolve and receive necessary support naturally. Gyeonggi Province will continue to broaden that path step by step. We will expand Bandabi Sports Centers and disability-friendly sports facilities, and will more thoroughly equip programs and instructional personnel tailored to each region and disability type. We will ensure that opportunities to exercise do not differ based on where someone lives or what type of disability they have," she emphasized.
The games feature athletes with various types of disabilities, including visual impairment, intellectual disability, hearing impairment, and cerebral palsy, who will display the skills they have honed.
The competitions will be held in 19 life sports events: gateball, basketball, billiards, dancesport, lawn bowls, badminton, boccia, bowling, swimming, weightlifting, track and field, rowing, table tennis, park golf, soccer, e-sports, shuffleboard, taekwondo, and showdown.
The opening ceremony on the 28th at Seo Island, Jara Island in Gapyeong County was attended by Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Vice Chair of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council Kim Mi-suk, Gapyeong County Supervisor Seo Tae-won, municipal and county heads, members of the National Assembly, provincial council members, heads of sports organizations, persons with disabilities sports officials, and residents.
Prior to the opening ceremony, pre-event performances including sign language performance and wheelchair dance were held, and following the official proceedings, congratulatory performances by Nora Zo and Jang Yoon-jeong followed.
The Bandabi Sports Center mentioned by Governor Choo is a public life sports facility created so that persons with disabilities can exercise conveniently near their daily lives. It refers to an integrated sports space that is primarily used by persons with disabilities but also shared with non-disabled individuals.