Maksum Nur Fauzan

After successfully hosting the 2018 Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2, Jakarta will once again host a multinational sports event — the Asian Para Games — from Oct. 6 to 13.

The Asian Para Games is a celebration of testing the human limits by featuring disabled athletes from 42 countries across Asia.

Under the theme, The Inspiring Spirit and Energy of Asia, athletes will compete in 19 different sports, including athletics, badminton, archery, chess, bicycling, judo, weightlifting, swimming, bowling, table tennis, basketball, fencing, tennis and volleyball.

There are 568 golds to be won and the athletic events remain the most competitive and dominant sports to compete in by featuring 714 athletes from 39 countries.

For this year’s Asian Para Games, Indonesia has set a target of a top-eight finish in the final medals tally. This target comes as no surprise as Indonesian athletes topped the final standings among Southeast Asian nations during the 2017 Asean Para Games in Malaysia.

There is no better testament to the will of exceeding expectations and the will to compete than the Asian Para Games as disabled athletes overcome their physical limitations to achieve their dream of winning a gold medal. For this reason alone, the quadrennial event should not be overlooked by sports fans.