Q: How have Vietnamese athletes prepared for the 2014 Asian Para Games?
A: Vietnamese athletes will compete in six of 23 sports at the second Asian Para Games, namely swimming, table tennis, powerlifting, athletics, bowling and badminton.
All 45 participants have satisfied the qualification criteria for the Games, via their performance and point accumulation at international Para tournaments, in line with the regulations applied by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) since 2014.
Vietnam sent three weightlifters to compete in the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from April 2-11, winning one silver medal by Le Van Cong in the men’s 49kg category. All three of these athletes are eligible for the Incheon Para Games.
Eleven Vietnamese athletes brought home six gold, seven silver and five bronze medals from the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Beijing April 10-17, with all of them securing berth in Incheon. Another four also made their way through to the Asian Para Games after competing in the 2014 IPC Athletics Grand Prix Italian Open Championships in Grosseto, Italy, from 27 May - 2 June.
Vietnam’s eight contestants met the swimming eligibility criteria for the Incheon Games following their achievements – eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals – at the IDM Berlin 2014 from April 24-27.
Regarding badminton and table tennis, the APC also issued formal reports about Vietnamese athletes’ Asian Para Games qualification based on their overall rankings at international competitions in 2013.
In preparation for the Incheon Games, all qualified athletes took part in three training courses at the National Sports Training Centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City beginning in early March. The athletes are all in stable form and spirit, and ready to shine at the Games.
Q: What are Vietnam’s main goals for the Asian Para Games?
A: The second Asian Para Games is a forum for athletes with disabilities, and the main objective of the Vietnamese sports contingent is to promote the image of a peaceful Vietnam with friendly people and a resilient will. The athletes will give the best of their abilities and overcome themselves.
Vietnam’s gold-medal hopes are pinned on Do Thanh Hai, Vo Thanh Tung and Nguyen Thanh Trung (swimming); Le Van Cong and Nguyen Binh An (weightlifting); and Pham Duc Trung (badminton). The delegation will strive to overcome the three gold medal tally won at the previous Games in Guangzhou, China four years ago.
Q: What does the second Asian Para Games mean to each athlete?
A: The Incheon Para Games offers a healthy playground imbued with friendship and solidarity for Vietnamese athletes with impairments to boost integration and communication with international friends. It will also be an ideal opportunity for our athletes to vie for slots at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In addition, achieving top results at the Games will earn athletes valuable bonuses from sponsors, including the LienVietPostBank (VND100 million) and Saigon - Hanoi Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (BSH) (VND20 million for each gold medal, VND15 million for a silver and VND10 million for a bronze).
Thank you for the interview and wish the Vietnamese delegation success!
| The second Asian Para Games is scheduled to take place in Incheon from October 18-24 with the participation of 42 countries and territories from across Asia. At the first edition in Guangzhou, China four years ago, the Vietnamese delegation finished 11th of 41 participating countries, winning a total of three gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals. |
