FESPIC Games


The FESPIC Games or the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, was a multi-sports games in Asia and the South Pacific region which is considered to be a precursor to the Asian Para Games, as two of its' edition games in 1999 and 2002 were held parallel to the 1998 Asian Games and the 2002 Asian Games.
The FESPIC Games, which started in 1975, was held nine times. The games were last contested in December 2006, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
For Asian countries, the FESPIC Games was replaced by the Asian Para Games starting with the inaugural 1st Asian Para Games in 2010 in Guangzhou, China after the 16th Asian Games. For the Pacific countries, the para sports were included in the Pacific Games programme. The Asian Para Games, the parallel event for athletes with physical disabilities, is a multi-sport event held every four years after every Asian Games. The Asian Games and Asian Para Games had adopted the strategy used by the Olympic and Paralympic Games of having both games in the same city.

Objectives

The first FESPIC Games was held in Oita, Japan in 1975. There were limited opportunities for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific to participate in sports at the time. The FESPIC Games was launched to address this issue and promote understanding toward disabled persons in each country, as well as improve their social welfare.
The number of participant countries increased during FESPIC history. Central Asian countries Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan, first participated in the 7th FESPIC Games in 1999. The Middle Eastern countries were allowed to compete in the 9th FESPIC Games in 2006, along with Timor-Leste. Middle East countries were previously not allowed to compete in FESPIC Games from 1975 to 2002 because these countries were Africa/Middle Eastern members.

List of FESPIC Games

Of all the nine edition of the FESPIC Games, two of them, the 1999 and 2002 editions were held in the same host city as the Asian Games. The 9th FESPIC Games was the last and final edition of the series which took place in 2006. For Asian countries, the FESPIC Games was replaced by the Asian Para Games, starting with the inaugural 2010 Asian Para Games which was held in Guangzhou, China after the 16th Asian Games.
EditionYearHost CityHost NationNationsCompetitors
I1975Oita1 June3 June18973
II1977Parramatta20 November26 November16430
III1982Sha Tin31 October7 November23744
IV1986Solo31 August7 September19834
V1989Kobe15 September20 September411,646
VI1994Beijing4 September10 September422,081
VII1999Bangkok10 January16 January342,258
VIII2002Busan26 October1 November402,199
IX2006Kuala Lumpur25 November1 December463,641

Youth Games

One Youth Games was held in Hong Kong and serves as the precursor to the Asian Youth Para Games.
EditionYearHost CityHost NationNationsCompetitors
I2003Kowloon-Sha Tin24 December27 December15584

Sports

Target Sports
Water Sports
Ball Sports