Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional Leadership Conference
Bangkok, Thailand – The Special Olympics Asia Pacific region hosted its three day Regional Leadership Conference in Bangkok, bringing together more than 110 leaders from 23 countries to share best practices, celebrate progress, and strengthen collaboration across the movement. The conference provided a valuable opportunity for National Special Olympics Organisations to exchange ideas, showcase innovative initiatives, and reaffirm their shared commitment to inclusion through sport. Over the course of the event delegates engaged in workshops, showcases, and strategic discussions focused on empowering athletes and enhancing the reach of community-based programmes.
The keynote of the conference, Dipak Natali, Regional President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Asia Pacific spoke about the unifying purpose that underpins the movement.
“The event is about bringing people together to support one another, and in doing so, it lifts everyone’s spirit in the room,” Natali said. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has the opportunity to play sport.”
Since emerging from the pandemic, the organisation has placed renewed emphasis on rebuilding connections and expanding its reach. Participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the region dropped drastically during the pandemic but Natali said the current momentum reflects a collective determination to restore and surpass previous engagement levels.
Dipak Natali
“Everyone is embracing the call to productivity and reaching more athletes.”
A key focus of the conference was the role of data driven inclusion. Natali highlighted the importance of accurate athlete identification to ensure that no individual is overlooked. He cited Myanmar as a powerful example: following a recent natural disaster, comprehensive programme data allowed Special Olympics to locate athletes affected by the crisis and provide them with support. The case he explained demonstrated how data can serve not only sport development but also humanitarian response.
The Asia Pacific region has recorded the highest per capita growth across the global Special Olympics network in recent years, a milestone that reflects the creativity and resilience of its national programmes. Recent regional highlights include a successful Unified Football event in Dhaka, Bangladesh; a bocce and bowling competition in New Delhi, India; a badminton competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well as the upcoming football competition taking place shortly in Bandung, Indonesia, this November. These events support the growth of regional sports and competition, in the lead-up to the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2027.
Looking ahead, the organisation is prioritising volunteer development and capacity building to sustain long term growth. The conference’s overarching theme of sharing collective wisdom resonated strongly throughout, inspiring leaders to continue expanding opportunities for athletes of all abilities and to strengthen local networks of support.
As United Through Sports (UTS), we were honoured to participate in the conference and to contribute to this exchange of ideas and experiences. The event offered an invaluable opportunity for us to learn from regional best practices, deepen collaboration, and gain new perspectives on how we can better care for and support the youth who take part in our programmes. These insights will directly guide our preparations for the World Youth Festival in Malaysia this November, where we look forward to welcoming young participants from Special Olympics and ensuring that every young person feels included, empowered, and celebrated. We also had the pleasure of meeting with Special Olympics Malaysia’s Connie Yee, National Director and Bong Koi Sin, President, to align our shared objectives ahead of the World Youth Festival.
With 31 countries across Asia Pacific now part of or affiliated with the Special Olympics movement, the Bangkok conference served as a powerful reminder of the region’s shared purpose. It highlighted a collective commitment to building a future where every athlete is seen, supported, and given the chance to thrive both on and beyond the field of play.
Visit The Special Olympics Asia Pacific Region Website: https://www.specialolympics.org/regions/asia-pacific
