An official send-off ceremony was held on October 8 at Hanoi’s National Sport Training Centre for the Vietnamese delegation to the Asian Para Games in Incheon, the Republic of Korea.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Le Khanh Hai spoke highly of the coaches and disabled athletes’ efforts to prepare for the sporting event.

Hai expressed his hope that the athletes would compete fairly and achieve the best results possible, and act as goodwill ambassadors to promote Vietnam’s cultural values.

Vu The Phiet, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Sports Association for Disabled Athletes (VSAD), said 45 Vietnamese athletes would compete in six of 23 sports, namely track-and-field, swimming, weightlifting, badminton, table tennis and bowling events. The delegation aims to win between 6-9 gold medals and come 15 th in the medal ranking.

This event is a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese athletes with disabilities to participate in the regional sports event, sharing experiences and building friendships between the participating athletes and nations.

The Asian Para Games II run from October 18-24, with the participation of 42 countries and territories.

During the first Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010, the Vietnamese delegation ranked 11 th out of 41 participating countries with three gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals.-VNA