Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s para-sports team have settled into its accommodation in Japan and begun training ahead of the Asian Para Games 2026, with the aim of winning gold.
The athletes are adapting to competition venues, maintaining fitness and refining their techniques ahead of the event, which will run in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, from October 18 to 24.
On October 12, organisers began medical examinations and disability classification for athletes in Nagoya. The process determines appropriate competition categories based on how an impairment affects sporting performance, helping ensure fair competition.
Vietnam will send 36 team members, including 21 athletes competing in five sports: athletics (seven), swimming (seven), powerlifting (four), table tennis (two) and badminton (one). The delegation also includes a guide athlete, six coaches, management staff and medical personnel.
Delegation head Nguyen Trong Ho is scheduled to attend the flag-raising ceremony on October 16, while powerlifter Le Van Cong will carry Vietnam’s flag at the opening ceremony on October 18.
Competition will officially begin on October 19, featuring around 500 events across 18–19 sports, bringing together leading para-athletes from across Asia.
At the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, Vietnam won 20 medals, comprising one gold, 10 silver and nine bronze, to finish 22nd overall. The country’s sole gold medal came from swimmer Le Tien Dat in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB5 event. This year, he returns for the Games, where Vietnam again targets gold./.
