The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) announced on Friday that the fifth Asian Youth Para Games will occur in Dubai, UAE, from December 7 to 14, 2025. Dubai has been handed the hosting rights on the rebound after the original host, Tashkent, pulled out a few months back.
Dubai will host the event for the second time. It first hosted the Asian Youth Para Games in 2017.
The news comes four months after the APC announced that Tashkent, the original host city, could not proceed with staging the games, which were originally scheduled for October.
“The Asian Youth Para Games are vital to developing the Paralympic Movement in Asia. They give young athletes the chance to get their international classification and to test themselves in a prestigious multi-sport event,” APC President Majid Rashed said in a release on Friday.
“We are very grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai Sports Council, and the Dubai Club for People of Determination for stepping up to ensure the fifth edition of the games will advance. With their previous experience of hosting the event in 2017 and Dubai’s track record of hosting para-sports events, we are confident that the games will be a huge success,” he said.
The Local Organising Committee for the event has set four objectives: promote inclusivity and create a platform for young athletes with disabilities; inspire youth with disabilities by encouraging participation in sports; foster regional unity by strengthening ties among Asian nations; and showcase Dubai by highlighting its world-class infrastructure and commitment to inclusivity.
According to the APC release, 30-40 countries are expected to send 1350 athletes to Dubai to compete in 10 sports. This will make them the biggest-ever Asian Youth Para Games in terms of athlete numbers and countries attending.
The 10 sports that will be featured are Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Taekwondo, Para Archery, Para Table Tennis, Para Badminton, Wheelchair Basketball, Boccia, and Goalball.
Six of the 10 sports will be held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination. Dubai is a popular host for para-sports, organising the FAZZA International Para-Athletics Championships and the FAZZA Para-Archery Championships, among other events.
–IANS
