After swimmer Do Thanh Hai secured a silver medal in the men’s 400m freestyle (S6) with a time of 5:58.14, the celebration continued as veteran swimmer Vo Huynh Anh Khoa shone in the pool.
In the men’s 400m freestyle final in the S8 class, Vo Huynh Anh Khoa showed clear superiority, settling into a controlled rhythm for most of the distance before producing a strong finishing kick to win in 5:26.16 — the first gold for Viet Nam’s Para sports delegation at this year’s Games.
Notably, the event also underlined Viet Nam’s strength in Para swimming, as two other Vietnamese athletes — Han Quan Thoai and Dang Van Cong — won silver and bronze, respectively, helping the team complete a clean sweep of medals and bringing the day’s swimming haul to three medals.
On the first day, other Vietnamese swimmers such as Trinh Thi Bich Nhu, Le Tien Dat, and Nguyen Thi Sari also continued to compete, with hopes of adding more medals for the delegation.
In Para powerlifting, Paralympic champion Le Van Cong opened his campaign in the 49 kg category, while lifters Dang Thi Linh Phuong, Nguyen Binh An, and Chau Hoang Tuyet Loan are also expected to make their mark.
The 13th ASEAN Para Games are being held in Thailand from January 20 to 26. Viet Nam is competing with 140 athletes across 11 sports, aiming to continue affirming its standing in the region.
