VN set sights on place in top three

Aiming high: Vietnamese athletes train at the National Sport Centre in Ha Noi in preparation for the ASEAN Para Games. — VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI — A 112-member squad of disabled Vietnamese athletes is set to compete in seven events in the hope of a top three finish at the ASEAN Para Games, the largest regional sporting event for disabled athletes, in Indonesia from December 12-20.

Team members will compete in track and field, badminton, weightlifting, swimming, table tennis, chess and tennis in Surakarta, Indonesia.

A send-off ceremony will be held for the team today at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ha Noi.

At the previous event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two years ago, Viet Nam bagged 73 gold, 57 silver and 45 bronze medals to rank third in the medal tally.

Swimmers Nguyen Thi Hao and Le Tuan Dat won gold medals and set new Asian records in the women's and men's 50m breaststroke, while Nguyen Thi Sa Ry was voted as the best female athlete of the Games.

Vo Hoang Anh Khoa and Le Thi Dung also set two ASEAN Para Games records in the men's 50m butterfly and women's 200m freestyle.

Established in 1995 with 15 staff members in Ha Noi, Viet Nam Paralympic Committee has attracted tens of thousands of disabled people to regular training camps organised in 41 cities and provinces. — VNS

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