Indonesian Special Olympics athletes and officials take a group photo during an event at the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin on June 16, 2023, before they participate in the Special Olympics World Games (SOWG) which will begin on June 17 in the German capital.
(JP/JP)
T
/o:p>Twenty-five Indonesian athletes are set to compete at the 16th edition of the Special Olympics World Games (SOWG) which will commence on Saturday evening in Berlin.
They will join around 7,000 athletes from 190 countries expected to partake in this year's World Games and over 3 million athletes with an intellectual disability who participate in Special Olympics competitions.
The Special Olympics is an international sports organization that provides training and competitions for children and adults with intellectual or learning disabilities in various Olympic sports.
The Special Olympics concentrates mainly on people with intellectual disabilities. While the Paralympics has incorporated such disabilities, it primarily focuses on physical disabilities.
On Friday, Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Arief H. Oegroseno hosted a banquet for the Indonesian contingent at the embassy office in Berlin.
“This year’s SOWG theme of inclusivity is very important to Indonesia. We are a very diverse nation and our athletes who have special talents are of course part of us,” Arief said.
Arief called on the contingent members to use the event in Berlin to learn as much as possible from other athletes, who have not only contributed to the field of sports but also in other social fields.
Agus Sugiarto, head of the Indonesian delegation, said the 25 athletes would compete in seven sports events.
The Indonesian contingent was selected following the Special Olympics National Games in Semarang, Central Java, in June last year. A national training camp was organized from May 8 to June 8 in Semarang and Kudus, Central Java, ahead of the world games.