Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will send a 185-member contingent to the 13th ASEAN Para Games, scheduled to take place in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, from January 15 to 27, 2026.
Bringing together athletes with disabilities from 11 Southeast Asian countries, the Games will feature 19 sports with 536 events, including archery, athletics, badminton, blind football (5-a-side), boccia, bowling, chess, cycling, cerebral palsy football (7-a-side), goalball, blind judo, powerlifting, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, and wheelchair tennis.
Four sports – athletics, swimming, powerlifting, and cycling – will be held in line with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) supervision standards.
The Vietnamese delegation comprises 141 athletes (including two guide runners), 27 coaches, and 17 officials. They will compete in 11 sports: athletics, swimming, powerlifting, badminton, table tennis, boccia, chess, blind judo, archery, wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair fencing.
The ASEAN Para Games serves as an occasion for Vietnam to strengthen cooperation in disability sports with regional countries while asserting its position in Southeast Asia. The event also enables coaches and athletes to exchange expertise, foster solidarity, and gain valuable experience ahead of major competitions, including the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi – Nagoya, Japan, and the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
For this edition, Vietnam aims to win 40–50 gold medals and finish among the top four or five nations. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has requested strict athlete selection procedures and urged competitors to uphold solidarity, fairness, and sportsmanship while combating all negative behaviours.
Vietnam performed strongly in recent editions, securing 65 golds at the 11th ASEAN Para Games and 66 golds at the 12th ASEAN Para Games, maintaining a place among the region’s leading delegations./.
