No physical disability is going to stop these athletes from achieving their dreams!
On its second run, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Deaf Games welcomed 270 athletes from 7 participating countries at the Jakarta State University Sports Hall Last August 20 to 26. With the theme of “Winning Through Unity,” the competition was a fitting reflection of the athletes’ abilities to defy all odds.
The first SEA Deaf Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2022. Created by the ASEAN Deaf Sports Federation (ADSF), the international body for deaf sports in the Southeast Asia region, the event aimed to bring together deaf athletes to showcase their skills and to learn from each other through camps, seminars, and workshops that pushed them to their limits.
This year, the SEA Deaf Games were hosted by the Indonesian Sports Association of the Deaf (ISAD). Sports events like athletics, badminton, chess, futsal, table tennis, and bowling were on the program, with players from Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the host nation, Indonesia all vying for the coveted gold medal in different categories.
After an intense six-day competition, the results are in, with Malaysia winning an overwhelming victory by racking up 25 gold medals, 16 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals. The Philippines ranked 2nd with a total of 25 medals (7 gold, 6 silver, 12 bronze), followed by Indonesia in 3rd place with 35 medals (4 gold, 14 silver, 17 bronze).
In an interview with The Borneo Post, Sarawak Deaf Association president Ko Ming Liang said, “We sincerely hope that the government can provide more financial support for these athletes who bring glory to the country, helping them continue to improve their performance and win greater honors for Malaysia in the future.”
What the SEA Deaf Games have proven beyond a doubt is that whether you are a person with disabilities or not, you have the power to achieve your goals if you put your mind, heart and soul into all of your efforts. Congratulations to all the athletes!