(VNF) - Vietnamese athletes will compete in eight of 16 sports at the 9^th Southeast Asian Para Games in Malaysia from September 17^th-24^th.

Reigning champion Nguyen Thanh Trung will defend his title of the men’s 100 m breaststroke SB4 in the Malaysian Para Games. (VNA File photo)

The 190-member delegation that includes 151 competitors is under Nguyen Ngoc Anh, head of the Amateur Sports Department of the Vietnam National Sports Administration.

The team will leave for the Games on September 13^th.

“Our athletes include 12 outstanding powerlifters and swimmers. They have been training intensively in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from early this year. The rest were selected after their successful performances at the national championships for people with disabilities. They are all medal favourites at the coming Games in Kuala Lumpur,” said Anh.

At the previous Games in Singapore in 2015, Vietnam sent a delegation of 153 members to the Games, held in Singapore and ranked fourth with 48 gold medals, 58 silver and 50 bronze medals.

Chau Hoang Tuyet Loan with her gold medal in powerlifting at the 8^th ASEAN Para Games. (Photo: VNA)

Accordingly, a total of 114 athletes with disabilities represented Vietnam competing in six sports: swimming (34 athletes), chess (8 athletes), athletics (37 athletes), powerlifting (11 athletes), table tennis (12 athletes) and badminton (12 athletes).

Notably, they won 19 gold, 22 silver and 21 bronze medals in swimming. Ten out of the 11 participating Vietnamese lifters pocketed medals, including 6 golds. Vietnamese athletes broke 16 Games records and two Asian records at the 8^th Para Games 2015.

Vietnam was behind Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia in the medal standings while host Singapore earned the fifth place with 24 golds./.

VNF