The Vietnamese sports delegation opened its V Asian Para Games campaign on October 16, 2026, as badminton and table tennis competitors took to the courts two days ahead of the official opening ceremony, vietnam.vn reported. While the broader competition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, runs from October 18 through October 24 with approximately 3,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories, Vietnam’s smaller opening contingent faced immediate competition on the first day of preliminary action.
Early Shuttler and Paddlers Touch Down for Preliminary Rounds
Vietnam entered the opening day of competition with a three-athlete roster across the two sports. Van Anh Tuan stood as the sole representative for Vietnamese badminton, while Hoa Phuong and Pham Minh Tuan secured the country’s two table tennis entries through special exemptions. Before arriving in Japan, the table tennis pair finished a training stint at the National Youth Athlete Training Center. Meanwhile, Van Anh Tuan traveled early to Ichinomiya to settle into tournament conditions, logging a training session alongside a Nepalese competitor at the Gifu Arena to test his racket feel against international standards.
Schedule Shifts Demand Immediate Adaptation in Ichinomiya and Toyota
Organizers scheduled the opening badminton and ping-pong fixtures across October 16 and 17, creating an immediate physical test before the formal torch lighting. Badminton matches unfold at venues in Ichinomiya, while table tennis players compete at the Sky Hall Toyota. The schedule pauses briefly before resuming full competition from October 19 to October 23, giving athletes a narrow window to stabilize their physical conditioning on foreign courts.
Delegation Size and Hangzhou Context Set Expectations for Aichi-Nagoya
Vietnam arrived at the multi-sport continental gathering with a 36-member delegation, featuring 21 athletes entered across five disciplines: athletics, swimming, powerlifting, badminton, and table tennis. The team’s ambitions build on a 20-medal haul at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where the delegation secured 1 gold, 10 silver, and 9 bronze medals to finish 22nd overall. Alongside the opening shuttlers and paddlers, veteran competitors including powerlifter Le Van Cong and swimmer Le Tien Dat anchor the country’s upcoming medal pursuits in their respective events.
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