Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool will host the event from January 9 to 11.

It will take place just over seven months prior to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Around 150 of Asia’s best swimmers from 12 countries are expected to compete.

"This is only the second regional INAS Championships of its kind to take place in Asia so we are excited to add it as a building block to our calendar," said Dave Harman, chairperson of the INAS Swimming Committee.

"It will be a perfect preview for Tokyo 2020 as well as offering athletes in other eligibility groups the chance to compete at the highest level.

"We cannot wait to kick-start a very important year in Hong Kong by welcoming new Global Games champions and potential future Paralympic medallists, too.

"I would like to thank the Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with an Intellectual Disability (HKSAPID) for organising the competition.

"I look forward to working with them to deliver an exceptional event."

Patrick Chan, chairperson of HKSPAID, added: "We are proud to be able to host this competition for the first time in Hong Kong and to welcome the best swimmers from all over the world.

"My team is making the best efforts to make it a pleasant and unforgettable experience for all participants."

Tang Wai Lok, the reigning Paralympic champion in the men’s 200 metres freestyle S14 event, will have the opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd.

He is one of Hong Kong’s best swimmers with an intellectual impairment,

"I can’t wait to race with so many excellent swimmers in this event, I’m always excited and ready to swim my best," Tang said.

Three eligibility groups will be contested in Hong Kong.

The II1 group contains athletes with intellectual impairments who also compete in the S14 classification in World Para Swimming events and the Paralympics.

II2 is for athletes with a more significant impairment, such as Down syndrome.

Following a year-long trial, this group is now a full medal event.

The II3 group for athletes with high-functioning autism will take place on a trial-only basis as research continues.

INAS Swimming has applied to World Para Swimming to sanction the event.

The 2020 INAS Swimming Open Championships for Asia will follow the 2019 INAS Global Games in Brisbane.

The INAS Global Games are the world’s biggest high-performance sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

Around 1,000 athletes are expected to compete in 11 sports from October 12 to 19.

INAS helps more than 300,000 of the world’s best athletes compete in a variety of winter and summer sports, including Alpine skiing, basketball, cricket, cycling and tennis.