Celebrating the extraordinary through the 8th ASEAN Para Games

Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Chairperson of the Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee at the Opening Ceremony of the 8th ASEAN Para Games

President Tony Tan, 
Your Excellencies,
Members of the Asian Paralympic Committee and the ASEAN Para Sports Federation 

Distinguished Guests, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 

1. Good evening and welcome to the 8th ASEAN Para Games!
   
2. This is the first time that Singapore is hosting the region’s largest sporting event for persons with disabilities.
   
3. What makes it all the more special is that 2015 is also Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.
   
4. Tonight we are delighted to have with us our friends from the region – here in Singapore and many more watching from across Southeast Asia. A warm welcome from Singapore!
   
5. The ASEAN Para Games is a celebration of friendship, solidarity and the triumph of the human spirit.
   
6. To all our athletes gathered here tonight, you have overcome challenges in life, and shown us that sport is truly without boundaries.
   
7. Your fighting spirit will inspire us to live better through sport and spur us to face life’s challenges with courage. I wish you all the best in your competitions ahead.
   
8. Sport can bring out the champion in all of us. It also breaks down barriers and helps us to appreciate the talents of those with different abilities.
   
9. And that’s why we adopted the theme “Celebrate the Extraordinary” for this Games.
   
10. We celebrate all abilities; we celebrate the indomitable spirit of our para athletes; we celebrate the extraordinary in each and every one of us.
    
11. So to all our friends from the region, thank you for being part of this special moment in the history of disability sport in ASEAN.
    
12. And to my fellow Singaporeans, thank you for joining us in being gracious hosts to our guests.
    
13. To our volunteers, motivators, performers, and students from the 24 schools and voluntary welfare organisations starring in tonight’s heart-warming show, you represent the best of Singapore, and we are tremendously proud of you.
    
14. The ASEAN Para Games is not just a sporting competition. It is a milestone for every Singaporean, as we mark the start of a movement to build a more inclusive society through sport.
    
15. So let us come together, to Celebrate the Extraordinary at the 8th ASEAN Para Games.