On the evening of 13 September, members of the Vietnamese delegation arrived in Malaysia, ready for the days of competition at the 9th ASEAN Para Games, taking place from 17 to 24 September 2017.
The Vietnamese delegation of athletes with disabilities taking part in Para Games 9 has 192 members, including 141 athletes, competing in 158 events across 8 sports: swimming, athletics, weightlifting, chess, badminton, boccia, blind football and table tennis.
The main body of the delegation set off and arrived in Malaysia on the evening of 13 September, and this evening, 14 September, the remaining members of the boccia and blind football teams will arrive. The delegation has been accommodated by the organisers at the Sunway Putra Hotel (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
The Para Games are held immediately after the SEA Games. Besides being a sporting arena, they are also a place witnessing the competition and the efforts to rise up and push beyond every limit of athletes who have been unfortunate in life.
Attending the Games this year, the Vietnamese athletes have been very well prepared, mentally and physically. With their excellent results from the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the Vietnamese delegation is confident of going far beyond the 9 gold medals won at Para Games 8 in Singapore in 2015.
The sports expected to win medals for the country are athletics, weightlifting and swimming, with names such as weightlifter Le Van Cong, women’s weightlifter Dang Thi Linh Phuong, swimmer Vo Thanh Tung and athlete Cao Ngoc Hung… It can be said that the Vietnamese delegation of athletes with disabilities has a golden generation full of talent, ready to compete on the international stage.
At the send-off ceremony for the delegation, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Khanh Hai said: “In every step you take, you always have the attention and cheering of millions of sports lovers at home. Each medal at this Para Games is a meaningful expression of gratitude to your families, the people and the country. Every member of the Vietnamese delegation of athletes with disabilities should do well in your role as goodwill ambassadors of Viet Nam to the people of Southeast Asian countries”.