Asian Para Games ends in sparkling closing ceremony, Viet Nam secure medals in last day

Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed has declared the fourth APG "the biggest and best ever", during a speech at the closing ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

Hosts China dominated all competition to finish top of the medals table with a haul of 214 golds, 167 silvers and 140 bronzes.

Iran came second with 44 golds, with Japan in third on 42 golds.

"I said that I thought this would be the biggest and best Asian Para Games ever but it has surpassed my expectations," Rashed was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"Everything has been done with such dedication, such care and such diligence," Rashed added.

"These truly have been two Games of equal splendour."

Organisers impressed all audience with a great party of Chinese-style romance performance which gathered poetry, music and love, promising an unforgettable moment in their life.

Over 3,000 para-athletes from across Asia contended in 501 competitive events across a total of 22 sports in Hangzhou.

"Here, sports and culture were intertwined, interaction and mutual learning increased, and the prospects for the Asian road toward common development, openness and integration were also enhanced," said Cheng Kai, president of the fourth APG Organising Committee.

"The flame for the Asian Para Games is about to be extinguished. We send out a sincere wish that the burning flame, lit by our passion, will become a beautiful rainbow to convey our love to the world," said Cheng.

At the ceremony, Hangzhou officially passed the APC flag onto the Japanese prefecture Aichi and its capital city Nagoya, co-hosts of the fifth APG in 2026.

In the last day of activities, Vietnamese athletes won two silvers and three bronzes.

Runner Pham Nguyen Khanh Minh place second in the men's 400 T12 event in 50.17 seconds, 0.18 second after Iranian athlete Moradi Mehrdad.

He set his seasonal best result of 50.18sec and took silver.

Moradi Mehrdad of Iran won the race after 49.60-sec race,

Thai runner Tisuwa Kissanapong clocked 50.49 to earn his personal best record.

Earlier, Nguyen Ngoc Hiep claimed a bronze in the men's 400m T11 event.

Hiep tried his best to finish third in a time of 52.29sec.

He was behind Di Dongdong of the hosts who made up a new Games record of 52.28.

Iraqi Ayade Mohammad was second with 52.29, his seasonal best.

Viet Nam's second silver was of play Nguyen Thi Hong after she checkmated her Iranian rival Atefeh Naghvi Mandi in the women's individual rapid B2/B3 event.

The chess team also took two bronzes in the women's rapid chess B2 and PI categories.

The Vietnamese delegation bagged one gold, 10 silver and nine bronze medals, ranking 22nd in the medal tally on October 28./.