ASEAN Para Games 13: Vietnam shines in swimming, chess

Do Thanh Hai wins the gold medal and sets a new ASEAN Para Games record in the men’s 50m breaststroke (SB6) with a time of 42.63 seconds. (Photo: VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) — Vietnam continued its strong performance at the 13th ASEAN Para Games in Thailand on January 23, with impressive results in swimming and para chess, including multiple medals and new games records.

Swimming once again proved to be a major medal source for the Vietnam Para Sports delegation. The highlight of the third official competition day was swimmer Do Thanh Hai, who won the gold medal and set a new ASEAN Para Games record in the men’s 50m breaststroke (SB6) with a time of 42.63 seconds.

Earlier the same day, female swimmer Vi Thi Hang delivered another outstanding performance, winning gold in the women’s 100m backstroke (S6–S7) and breaking the games record with a time of 1 minute 43.20 seconds. This result followed her earlier gold in the 50m backstroke, underlining her status as one of Vietnam’s standout athletes at the games.

Vietnamese swimmers also added to the medal tally with a silver medal from Ha Van Hiep in the men’s 50m breaststroke (SB3), and bronze medals from Pham Tuan Hung in the men’s 50m breaststroke (SB6) and Nguyen Ngoc Thiet in the men’s 100m butterfly (S11).

Beyond swimming, Vietnam also recorded notable successes in other sports. In fencing, Truong Thi Van Anh won a silver medal in the women’s foil (Class B), while Nguyen Thi Le Quyen secured bronze in the same category. In para powerlifting, Nguyen Be Hau claimed silver in the men’s 65kg category, and Nguyen Van Hung earned another silver in the men’s 72kg class.

Vietnam also impressed in para chess, where the national team delivered a dominant showing in the opening days of competition in Nakhon Ratchasima. After three days, Vietnam had won 10 medals, including seven golds, placing the team among the leading delegations in the sport and reaffirming its strong position in regional para chess./.

VNA