Vietnamese Paralympics: Day 3 Results & Highlights

The fierce table tennis matches, as well as the gold medals won in chess, swimming and athletics, demonstrate the competitive spirit, resilience and aspiration for excellence of the athletes.

The high point of the third day of competition was the men’s singles final of disabled table tennis between Pham The Tien and his Indonesian opponent. The first two sets were difficult, the Vietnamese losing 8-11 and 9-11. However, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of the crowd, The Tien rallied in the third set, which he won 11-7, thus reviving hopes of a comeback. However, in the deciding set, his opponent was more incisive, seizing crucial opportunities to win 11-7 and conclude the final with a score of 3-1.

Although he did not win the gold medal, Pham The Tien’s participation in the final was particularly significant, marking the return of Vietnamese disabled table tennis to the men’s singles final after 17 years of absence on the regional scene.

In chess, Vietnamese players shone during this day of competition, winning a total of 7 gold medals, 1 silver and 2 bronze out of 12 events. Individual gold medals were won by Doan Thu Huyen (women’s standard chess PI), Tran Ngoc Loan (women’s standard chess B1), Nguyen Thi Hong (women’s standard chess B2/3) and Dao Tuan Kiet (men’s standard chess B1). Furthermore, the team also won the 3 gold medals in the women’s team events B1, B2/3 and PI, thus confirming that chess remains a favorite sport for Vietnamese athletes with disabilities.

In swimming, Vietnamese swimmers won gold medals and set records. Vi Thi Hang distinguished herself by winning the 100m backstroke in the S6-S7 category and breaking the Games record. Do Thanh Hai won gold in the 50m breaststroke in the SB6 category, against swimmers in the SB5 category, setting a new Games record and demonstrating his perseverance and competitive spirit.

In athletics, Nguyen Thi Hai brought new joy by winning a gold medal in shot put in the F57 disability category, contributing to the overall success of the Vietnamese delegation.

After three days of competition, the Vietnamese Paralympic team currently has 77 medals, including 24 gold medals, 29 silver medals and 24 bronze medals, and provisionally ranks 5th in the overall medal table.