NAY PYI TAW June 17
Ceremony to honor medalists of Myanmar sports contingents to 12th SEA Para Games hosted by Cambodia and 17th SEA (Invitational) Body Building and Physique Sports Championships hosted by Indonesia by the State was held at Wunna Theikdi Stadium B here this afternoon, addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who also gave away honory cash awards.
Also present were SAC Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, SAC members, union level officials, union ministers, Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nay Pyi Taw Command commander, deputy ministers, chairs and vice chairs of Myanmar sports federations, honoured guests, medalists, managers, coaches and officials.
The Senior General said sports activities are for health and fitness of the entire nation.
In addition, sports victories at international games improve the country’s international image. Sport is not only an activity for health, it enhances the standard and reputation of the people and country as it has the influence over the changing conditions. So, sport has become a national task that can enhance the dignity of the country and people.
In this world today, people sustain injuries due to various kinds of natural disasters, conflicts, fighting’s, bomb attacks and terrorist attacks in human societies. There are also people with inborn disorders including deafness and dumbness, amputation, mental retardation.
The global population of people with disabilities now is 16 percent of the global population or about 1,300 million, according to 2022 WHO report. The 2019 interim census shows that 12.8 percent of Myanmar’s population or over 5.969 million are persons with disabilities.
The task of promoting education, health and mental encouragement of persons with disabilities has become an important issue as they too are human beings. The section 32(a) of 2008 Constitution calls for the State to protect persons with disabilities. Hence, Right of Persons with Disabilities Law was enacted in 2015, and priority has been given to fulfilling their education, health and development needs. Nowadays, the international community including UN has given serious attention to the issue of persons with disabilities. As an ASEAN member, Myanmar joined the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF), established to enhance the standard of para games and friendship in the region. The country is taking part in the ASEAN Para Games annually.
Although the number of athletes of Myanmar contingent was small, it won medals in every event. In the 11th SEA Para Games hosted by Indonesia in 2022, the 69-member Myanmar contingent won 43 medals including 14 gold and won the sixth position in nation-wise medal standings. In this year’s games, the 82-member contingent took part in eight events and won 15 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 19 bronze medals, totaling 56 and stood at sixth position. The pare games stand witness to ability of persons with disabilities of Myanmar to improve the national image.
Myanmar athletes won 15 gold medals in track and field and swimming, 22 silver medals in track and field, swimming and weightlifting, and 19 bronze medals in track and field, swimming, weightlifting, chess and goal ball. Although they did not with gold, silver medalists are also honorable as they reached the final and did their best.
Eighty athletes from eight countries, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia took part in the 17th SEA (Invitational) Body Building and Physique Sports Championships held in Banter, Indonesia, from 8 to 12 June 2023. Honorary cash awards will also be presented to the athletes who took back home one gold, three silver and three bronze, totaling seven medals. Body building and physical fitness are important for every person.
As the 32nd SEA Games did not include body building and physical fitness, the relevant federation held the Championship events. Perseverance, zeal and spirit of the medalists of the pare games and championships in striving to win medals, to raise the national flag at the international events and to put the nation to a deserved position in the medal standings are recorded, and the medalists are honored.
Entrepreneurs, sports federation presidents and officials who helped achieve successes for the State and the people are urged to continue to give their encouragement and support.
The athletes who won medals are to keep making efforts to win more medals in the next international sports events with a combined sense of perseverance, diligence, effort, training movements, good obedience of discipline and fighting spirit.
In accordance with the motto of the Myanmar Paralympic Sports Federation saying that disable or not, it is a human being and only the performance is main, the president of Myanmar Paralympic Sports Federation and officials are to keep urging and supervising their athletes so that they will keep training through building fighting spirit, patriotism and spirit of keep flying the flag. The athletes
are also urged to make relentless efforts to achieve more successes in the next sports events to raise the prestige of the nation.
Then, Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs U Min Thein Zan briefed on the participation in the 12th ASEAN Para Games.
Afterwards, the triumphant athletes who won medals in 12th ASEAN Para Games, coaches and managers were presented cash prizes. The Senior General presented the cash prizes to Maung Aung Myint Myat who won two gold and silver each in swimming event, Lance Corporal Maung Lin who won one gold each in men’s 800-metre and 1500-metre track and field and one silver in 400-metre, Sergeant Tin Nyo one gold each in shot-put throw and javelin throw and one silver in discus throw, Ma Htet Htet Aye one gold each in shot-cut throw and discus throw and one bronze in javelin, Ma Sein Phaut one gold each in shot-cut throw and javelin, Corporal Soe Pay one gold in men’s 100-metre, one silver in 200-metre and one bronze each in 400-metre and 400-metre relay, Maung Min Htoo one gold in 50-metre breaststroke swimming event and one silver in backstroke, Maung Aung Phone Myat one gold in shot-cut throw and one silver in discus throw, Lance Corporal Aung Tun Lin one gold in discus throw and one silver in shot-cut throw, and Lance Corporal Ye Min Soe one gold in discus throw and Maung Nyein Chan who won one gold in the 17th Southeast Asia Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship.
Next, Joint Secretary of the Council Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo presented cash prizes to Ma Wai Wai Thin who won one silver each in long jump, 400-metre and 200-metre, Ma Lawla Win one silver each long jump and 400-metre, Maung Sithu Htet one silver each in shot-cut and javelin, and Ma Nyein Sandar Aung two silver in weightlifting.
Then, Members of the Council General Mya Tun Oo, Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Daw Dwe Bu and Mahn Nyein Maung, Dr. Hmu Htan, Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye and senior military officers presented cash prizes to the athletes who won silver and bronze medals, the administrative team and coaches respectively.
Corporal Soe Pay who won one gold in men’s 100-metre, one silver in 200-metre and one bronze each in 400-metre and 400-metre relay in the 12th ASEAN Para Games and Maung Nyein Chan who won one gold in the 17th Southeast Asia Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship thanked the Senior General and dignitaries for the prizes.
Later, the Senior General and party cordially greeted the athletes and coaches who brought honor to the State.
At the ceremony held today, the gold medal winners in the 12th ASEAN Para Games were awarded Ks-30 million each, the silver medal winners Ks-20 million each, the bronze medal winners Ks-10 million each, and bronze medal winners in team event Ks-3.5 million each.
Coaches and managers were presented Ks-10 million each for a gold medal on the basis of their game, Ks-5 million for silver each and Ks-3 million each for bronze, and Ks-1.2295 billion in total. Gold medal winners in the 17th Southeast Asia Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship were presented with Ks-10 million each, silver medal winners Ks-7 million each, bronze medal winners Ks-5 million each, and coaches and managers Ks-5 million each. The total amount of cash prizes presented at the ceremony today was Ks-1.2805 billion.
