With the Asean Para Games (APG) just 29 days away, the Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee (Sapgoc) announced that it has raised $6.5 million in sponsorship, surpassing its target of $5 million.

In April, Sapgoc chairman Lim Teck Yin had said that the original goal was "as much as we can get".

But fast forward six months later, and Lim, the chief executive officer of Sport Singapore, was delighted to announce: "I'm very pleased to note that corporate Singapore has stepped forward and we have already exceeded our $5 million target, and sponsorship today is sitting at about $6.5 million in total."

The figure was disclosed yesterday on the sidelines of a signing ceremony of the latest sponsorship deal, which saw automotive group Cycle & Carriage pledge a fleet of 78 vehicles, worth a total of $660,000, to ferry dignitaries, officials and guests during the APG.

Other high-profile sponsors include professional services company Deloitte, which committed $500,000 in cash and services like marketing and risk management.

A total of 28 companies have signed on as APG sponsors.

Team Singapore's chef de mission Raja Singh welcomed the contributions and noted: "I think these are the most well-prepared Games I have seen so far in Singapore."

The APG will take place from Dec 3 to 9, and more than 3,000 athletes and officials are expected to be in town.

Team Singapore will be represented by 158 athletes across all 15 sports, the Republic's largest-ever contingent for the biennial regional meet.