Update: There was a briefing by Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee chairman Lim Teck Yin to address concerns over transport arrangements for athletes during the December Games.

Once in a while, you will read a news story that will make you question humanity.

This is that type of story.

Yup, The Straits Times reported today (Oct 8) that trains will be the ASEAN para games athletes primary mode of transport from their Games Village at Marina Bay Sands to the Singapore Sports Hub, the venue for eight of the 15 sports.

Happening from Dec 3 to 9, the ASEAN para games will be in its eighth edition and Singapore will be hosting it for the first time.

Funny how a few months ago, the nation was gripped by the rather well-planned SEA Games and Joseph Schooling obliterating his competitors. And we definitely remember seeing this bus on the road asking motorists to give way.

Go five years back and you will remember Merly and Lyo plastered over buses.

Heck, even ACS students have their own transport (five chartered trains) last year for a rugby match against rivals St Andrew's Secondary at the Sports Hub.

Now before we twist the knife, consider the budget for the two major sporting events.

SEA Games - S$324.5 million

Youth Olympic Games (YOG) - S$387 million

And the ASEAN Para Games? S$75 million

Of course, the SEA and Youth Olympic Games were of a bigger scale, with more athletes, venues, officials, etc. For YOG, S$44 million were spent on an array of logistics solutions  such as supply chain management, cleaning and transport.

Now, using the same size logic, we are also pretty sure that transport for the Para Games will not cost as much as the bigger Games.

Reasons for such a move.

Officials, of course, gave their reasons.

1."It was planned to give athletes and officials ease of mind when it comes to travelling."

Granted that the Sports Hub is just three stations away from Marina Bay Sands via the Circle Line, this move doesn't exactly provide any ease of mind for the athletes and officials have to worry about rush hour, lugging equipment onto the train and, touch wood, breakdowns.

2."The opportunity to promote "a spirit of inclusiveness" where commuters and athletes with disabilities will share common space."

While it has good intentions, ST's sports writer Rohit Brijnath questioned the timing of it. We agree. Are we using the ASEAN para games as an "experiment"? Does it then dilute the spirit of competition of the para games?

3."This was part of the overall concept of the Games from the start. The community with disabilities was consulted and it, as well as the Asean Para Sports Federation and the Singapore Disability Sports Council, welcomed the idea." said Sapgoc chairman Lim Teck Yin.

Funny that the chairman said this because in the same story, Singapore sailor Jovin Tan, who has cerebral palsy said: "Instead, we could be worrying over how to get to the venue, or how we will return to the hotel sweaty and tired after competing, and possibly jostling for space with office crowds."

Making the reasons all the more contradictory is this press release published in August this year:

Preparations for the Games in December are in full force with 10 venues around Singapore confirmed as locales for competition during the Games. A primary consideration for the selection of the venues is the need to provide ease of accessibility for the PWD community, not just for the athletes, but for spectators as well.

“We are working with venues and potential vendors to ensure that they are ready to welcome our athletes and spectators from Southeast Asia. Some initiatives that we are looking at bringing in include ramps, wheelchair accessible toilets and also additional seating capacity for wheelchair users,” added Mr Lim Teck Yin. (emphasis ours)

It's just about being fair

If you think the organisers should provide bus services for the Para Games athletes just because they are handicapped, you are wrong.

This entire brouhaha just shows the type of resources and importance you give to an event that is of lower participation rate in terms of athletes and spectators.

We are afraid this move just contradicted the spirt of the Para Games: fair competition.

Top photo from ASEAN Para Games Facebook page

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