Media Release
30 August 2024
Australian and Indonesian para-athletes have gone wheel-to-wheel competing in a wheelchair rugby demonstration organised by the Australian Embassy on Friday, 30 August at GOR Universitas Negeri Jakarta.
The wheelchair rugby demonstration featured some of Australia's leading para-athletes, including Sara Houston, Joshua Hose, Ken O’Brien and Nazim “Naz” Erdem, a five-time Paralympian, who won gold at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics.
“As a sporting nation, I am delighted Australia can champion the role of sport in encouraging more inclusive communities,” said Chloe Ashbolt, Counsellor Public Affairs Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
“In celebration of the Paralympics, this event shows that everyone can participate, compete, and thrive in sports,” she said.
Wheelchair rugby is an intense and dynamic sport played by athletes with disabilities. It combines elements of handball, wheelchair basketball, and rugby with plenty of fast-paced contact between wheelchairs.
While in Indonesia, the para-athletes have participated in a series of clinics and training camps across Jakarta, Bali and East Indonesia to raise awareness about disability inclusive sport and inclusion. This program was organised by the Bali Sports Foundation and supported by the Embassy.
These wheelchair rugby players will also visit SDI Harapan Ibu, in South Jakarta, from the Australia-Indonesia Bridge School Partnership Program.
These activities have showcased the positive impact of inclusive sports with local communities, schools, sports organisations, and Indonesian para-athletes.
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