Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian National Paralympic Committee (NPC) is collaborating with Seoul Sports Association for the Differently-abled (SSAD) South Korea to improve the achievement of athletes with disabilities and build international-standard training facilities.

NPC Chairman Senny Marbun noted that the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SSAD Senior Vice President Hwang Jae Yun in Seoul, South Korea, on July 10, 2023.

SSAD is an association with a mission to improve the quality of life of disabled people through sports activities. SSAD trains talented athletes to promote disability sports in South Korea and has an advanced training facility.

Several important programs were agreed upon in this MoU, such as the athletes' exchange to undergo training in each country.

"Indonesia can send athletes to train in South Korea using their facilities and vice versa," Marbun noted in a press statement received here Thursday.

According to Marbun, as Asian countries, the two parties have agreed to support each other to produce quality athletes as an effort to excel and compete with European countries in international events.

"We do not want Asian countries to be left behind by European countries," he emphasized.

During his visit to a training ground for athletes with disabilities in Korea, he asked for a blueprint for their training facility.

He noted that NPC is also keen to build an international-standard training facility in Karanganyar, Central Java.

Meanwhile, Deputy General Manager of Public Relations and Cooperation Department of SSAD Jun Hee Sun welcomed the cooperation between the two countries.

This collaboration further ensures that SSAD and NPC will establish a fundamental relationship to carry out international sports exchange activities, Sun remarked.

Moreover, Sun noted that the MoU signing aimed at intensifying cooperation among parties by establishing roles and responsibilities for the development, implementation, support, and means of cooperation activities that will be carried out together.

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Translator: Muhammad Ramdan, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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