Asian Para Games  

Đỗ Thanh Hải and Lê Tiến Đạt of Việt Nam (in red uniform) at the victory ceremony of the men’s 100m breaststroke SB5 event in the Asian Para Games 2026 on October 21 in Japan. Photos courtesy of SAV

NAGOYA — Việt Nam won first gold medal from the Asian Para Games 2026 on October 21 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Lê Tiến Đạt failed to maintain his top position in the men's 100m breaststroke SB5 but his teammate Đỗ Thanh Hải made strong splash to secure his first ever title from the continental multi-sport Games for athletes with disabilities.

Hải finished first in a time of 1min 33.91sec while Đạt touched the pool wall about three seconds. Iran’s Rashidabadi Ali took bronze in 1:47.78.

The one-two finish secured Việt Nam’s para swimming team two medals in the event and marked a reversal of the result at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where Đạt won gold and Hải took silver.

Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lâm Thị Phương Thanh sent a congratulatory letter praising the athletes' impressive achievements and their resilience and determination in competition. She also asked delegation leaders to present immediate rewards to the medal winners in recognition of their outstanding performances.

Đỗ Thanh Hải (left) and Lê Tiến Đạt after completing their competition.

 In her letter she wrote: "Overcoming adversity and challenges in their daily lives, athletes with disabilities have trained tirelessly, constantly pushing beyond their limits to compete at the continent’s biggest sporting event and achieving remarkable results that are a source of national pride.

"Every medal they win is especially meaningful, reflecting not only months of gruelling training and relentless efforts to overcome personal limitations, but also the indomitable spirit, resilience and determination of the Vietnamese people to rise above adversity."

She also hoped that athletes and coaches would continue competing with confidence and determination while spreading beautiful and positive images of Việt Nam and its people to international friends.

Việt Nam currently sits in 18th place with one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in a ranking dominated by China with 107 golds, followed by Japan and Uzbekistan with 29 each.

The Asian Para Games 2026 are taking place in Aichi-Nagoya from October 18 to 24. Việt Nam has sent 21 athletes to compete in five sports: athletics, swimming, powerlifting, table tennis and badminton. VNS