Two TAR UMT student-athletes won a total of seven medals for Malaysia at the ASEAN Para Games 2025 held from 20 – 26 January 2026.

The 13th edition of the ASEAN Para Games saw Malaysia finish third in the medal standings with 201 medals (64 gold, 64 silver, 73 bronze) behind hosts Thailand (486 medals) and Indonesia (392 medals).

TAR UMT students Gloria Gracia Wong Sze and Ong Jia Xuan both played their parts in the para table tennis and para swimming events, respectively, to deliver a combined total of two gold, four silver, and one bronze medals.

Gloria (pic above), who is studying Diploma in Sports and Exercise Science, dominated the women’s singles TT10 and mixed doubles TT20 to clinch the two gold medals, followed by a bronze medal in the women’s doubles TT20 event.

“I’m super happy and privileged to represent and win for Malaysia. The feeling when ‘Negaraku’ was played during the medal ceremony was the most special moment for me. With this accomplishment, I look forward to representing Malaysia again in future international events,” said Gloria, who completed her secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Datok Lokman.

Meanwhile, Jia Xuan (pic above), a Bachelor in Human Resource Management (Hons) student, garnered four silver medals through the women’s 100m breaststroke SB9, women’s 50m breaststroke S9, mixed 4x100m freestyle relay 34pts S1-S10, and mixed 4×100m medley relay 34pts S1-S10 categories.

“I’m quite happy with my overall performance and grateful to win medals while representing Malaysia. It is my honour to wear the national colours and compete for the country. With Malaysia hosting the next ASEAN Para Games in 2027, I am looking forward to improving and delivering an even better performance on home soil,” said Jia Xuan who is a Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK) Yok Bin alumna.