The IPC General Assembly at Salt Lake City in 1999 discussed many motions. One of the motions from Malaysian Paralympic Council reads:
“That IPC agrees to the establishment of an IPC Regional Organization for the Asian continent called Asian Paralympic Council (APC), and that IPC welcomes initiatives from any IPC affiliated Asian member countries towards the said establishment”
Malaysia under the leadership of Dato’ Zainal Abu Zarin clarified that the motion was a matter of policy and principle. America, Africa, Europe and South Pacific are all continents that have already established their own IPC Organizations. There is none for Asia continent. Malaysia felt it was time for Asia to create an IPC Regional Committee with five sub regions in order to establish a more democratic decision making body and with the main purpose to increase IPC activities in the region.
According to the decision made at IPC East Asia Regional General Assembly held in Sydney in October 2000, the meeting of East Asia regional General Assembly is to be held in Busan, Korea during the 8th FESPIC Games.
ASIAN PARALYMPIC COUNCIL (APC) was established on 30 October 2002 in Busan, South Korea, sets itself to be the Paralympic Power of Asia within the next 10 years (2002-2012). In 2006, the Asian Paralympic Council was replaced by new ASIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE whose members were directly elected by the APC General Assembly. Dato’ Zainal Abu Zarin from Malaysia was elected as first President of APC. (East Asia Paralympic Committee) was the original name.
The APC is currently composed of a General Assembly (its highest decisionmaking body, made up of the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), an Executive Board, a Management Team in Kuala Lumpur and various Standing Committees.
APC becomes parallel to its regional counterparts of Europe, Americas, Africa and Oceania and comparable in terms of dynamism, determination, vitality and energy, in its role and responsibilities in perpetuating the ideals of the Paralympic movement as propagated by the world body, the INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE (IPC).
In year 2005, during the 5th APC Board of Executives Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Dato’ Zainal mooted and proposed the idea of having its regional Games called Asian Para Games back to back with Asian Games replacing the FESPIC Games. His idea was supported by 23 APC member nations. (At that time, APC has only 23 membership)
In that meeting,
- APC approved to establish an APC–FESPIC Task Force of 5 members to minimize or eradicate conflicts between APC & FESPIC Federation.
- Through the Task Force, APC & FESPIC agreed that :
- FESPIC and APC will merge by the 2006 FESPIC Games
- The 2006 Kuala Lumpur FESPIC Games will be the last FESPIC Games
- The 2010 Games will be the Asian regional Games for Athletes with a disability (1st Asian Para Games)
- The achievements of FESPIC Federation in the development of sports for people with disabilities shall be recognized and such shall be reflected in the merged organization’s constitution
To this effect, a cooperative agreement between APC President and FESPIC President had been signed with regard of the above on 15 May 2004
One for All, All for One
In year 2010, the 1st Asian Para Games was held successfully in Guangzhou from
12th to 19th December 2010 and the tradition continuos with the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon in October 2014.
During the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Para Games, Dato’ Zainal Abu Zarin had been elected again as President of Asian Paralympic Committee (unopposed) for the 2nd term under the new constitution of APC.
Thank you Dato’ Zainal for your tremendous contribution not only to Malaysia but also to Asean and Asia!!
