The Vietnamese team won 31 gold, 46 silver and 44 bronze medals, as of 3pm on September 21, temporarily standing fourth in the medal tally of the ongoing ninth ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia, according to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training.

Runner Nguyen Hoang Minh

The Vietnamese team has 142 players vie for medals in 158 events in eight out of 16 categories, including swimming, track-and-field, weightlifting, chess, badminton, boccia, football for the visually-impaired and table tennis, said Vuong Bich Thang, General Director of the Department.

The Vietnamese players brought home dozens of golds on two competition days of September 20-21, meeting the expectation of the Department and the Vietnam Sports Association for People with Disabilities, Thang said.

On September 21, swimmer Vo Thanh Tung won a gold medal at the men’s S5 100m backstroke event, clocking 1’26”77, and breaking the Games’ record of 1’36”80.

Tung also bagged one more gold medal at the men’s 50m freestyle event, setting a new record of 34”50.

Meanwhile, Vo Huynh Anh Khoa triumphed at the men’s S9 50m freestyle event to earn gold, and Trinh Bich Nhu gained a gold medal in the women’s S7 50m freestyle with a new Games’ record time of 37”43.

Earlier on September 20, Nhu also broke her own ASEAN Para Games record in the women’s SB5 100m breaststroke event for a gold.

Athletics also brought home two gold medals, with one of Kieu Minh Trung at the men’s F55 javelin throw and another of Truong Bich Van at the same event for women.

Nguyen Hoang Minh bagged a gold medal in the men's T12 1,500 metre running event, his third gold medals in the games. 

Nguyen Thi Hai earned a gold in the women's javelin throw F56/57 and Vuong Chau won a gold in the men’s F42/43 discus throwing.

Other three gold medals went to swimmers Nguyen Thanh Tung in the men’s S11 butterfly category, Trinh Thi Bich Nhu in the women’s SB5 100m breaststroke event, and Vi Thi Hang in the women’s SB6 100 metre breaststroke event.

Nguyen Thi My Linh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thu brought home the first gold medal for Vietnamese chess after finishing victorious in the women’s team standard chess B2/B3 event.

Indonesia was at the top with 89 golds, followed by host Malaysia with 66 golds and Thailand with 38 golds.

The ASEAN Para Games is a biannual multi-sport event held after every Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) for ASEAN athletes with physical disabilities.

The ASEAN Para Games 2017, which will last until September 23, has seen the participation of all 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with Timor Leste.

VNA