Vietnamese para-athletes eye personal bests at upcoming 13th ASEAN Para Games

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, along with representatives from ministries, departments, agencies, and Ho Chi Minh City are with the Vietnamese para-sports delegation at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument Park in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)

The 13th ASEAN Para Games, scheduled for January 15-27 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, is expected to be a fiercely competitive arena, bringing together the region’s top athletes with disabilities.

For Vietnam’s para-athletes, the Games presents a major opportunity to demonstrate extraordinary willpower, determination and resilience, as they strive to overcome personal challenges and push beyond their own limits with confidence.

Vietnam will send a delegation of 184 members to the Games, including 17 officials, 27 coaches and 140 athletes. The delegation will compete in 11 of the 19 sports on the programme, namely athletics, swimming, powerlifting, badminton, table tennis, boccia, chess, blind judo, archery, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair fencing. They are set to depart for Thailand on January 15 and return home on January 27.

At ASEAN Para Games 13, the Vietnamese para-sports delegation has set the target of winning between 40 and 50 gold medals, among the top four or five in the region.

Tran Duc Tho, Secretary General of the Vietnam Paralympic Committee, affirmed that despite difficulties and barriers, the Vietnamese delegation will spare no effort in training and competition. He stressed that the athletes are determined to compete calmly, confidently and creatively, showing fighting spirit to achieve the highest possible results and bring glory to the nation. He added that the delegation will uphold solidarity and strict discipline, comply with the host country’s regulations and laws, and contribute to strengthening regional solidarity and cooperation while promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to international friends.

Among the athletes heading to the Games, Le Van Cong, a leading Vietnamese para-powerlifter, said he continues to train regularly at the Ho Chi Minh City National Sports Training Centre. Although opportunities for specialised overseas training remain limited, he remains confident that with a strong sense of responsibility and dedication to the national colours, he can fulfil his goal of winning a gold medal at the upcoming Games.

Vietnamese para-sports have seen positive developments in recent years, with athletes competing at regional, continental and global events and securing impressive achievements, including gold medals at the Paralympic Games. Many athletes have become powerful role models, embodying the spirit of perseverance and the determination to rise above adversity, while making meaningful contributions to society and the nation.

Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration and head of the Vietnamese para-sports delegation to the 13th ASEAN Para Games, noted that people with disabilities and para-sports in Vietnam have consistently received strong attention from the Party and State through policies designed to ensure equal civil rights and create conditions for people with disabilities to fully realise their potential, including in sports.

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