Good luck, Arroyo wishes RP team to Thailand Asean paragames

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo relayed her wishes of good luck Friday night to Philippine athletes participating in the fourth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Paragames in Thailand. A Malacañang statement Saturday said Mrs Arroyo hosted the sendoff dinner to the athletes in a bid to boost their morale and confidence at the games that will be held in Thailand next week. "Good luck to all of you. Mabuhay kayong lahat," she told the 112 members of the Philippine delegation to the Asean Paragames 2008 set to open in Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima province on January 17. For their part, the athletes chanted, "Mabuhay ang Pangulo, mabuhay ang Team Pilipinas, mabuhay ang mga atleta (Long live the president, Team Philippines and the athletes)" before the dinner formally started. The Philippine delegation to the 4th Asean Paragames includes 25 team officials and 87 athletes who are wheelchair-bound, blind, amputees, and differently abled. Fourteen sports will be featured, including archery, athletics, aquatics, badminton, boccia, chess, fencing, goalball, judo, powerlifting, shooting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis. Some 186 gold medals are at stake. Patterned after the Paralympics, the Games will run until Jan. 27 under the theme "Friendship, Equality, Opportunity." During the dinner, Mrs Arroyo exchanged pleasantries and shook hands with the athletes with disabilities during the dinner held at Malacañang's Heroes Hall. She had photo opportunities with the athletes. The Asean Paragames is a biannual multi-sports event held after every Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, for athletes with physical disabilities from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Accompanying the athletes to Malacañang was Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez. "It is the first time that a President has given time to send off a Philippine team in the history of the Asean Paragames," Ramirez told the athletes. - GMANews.TV