RP Team improves medal haul in ASEAN Para Games

The Philippine team won a total of 74 medals and broke several records in the recently concluded 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Philippine team bagged 24 gold, 24 silver and 26 bronze medals while setting records in powerlifting, swimming and athletics during the August 15 to 19 Para Games. “Our team’s performance this year was such a big improvement compared to the previous games hosted by Thailand in 2007 where we only won 17 gold medals and this happened despite sending a smaller delegation," said RP Team manager Octavio Gonzales. The country sent a 112-strong delegation in the 2007 Thailand Para Games while 86 carried the RP colors this year. Thailand topped the biannual event, which is held after every Southeast Asian Games for disabled athletes from the 11 ASEAN member nations, with a total medal haul of 289 (157 gold, 75 silver and 57 bronze). Host Malaysia came in second with 94 gold, 81 silver and 71 bronze medals for a 246 tally while Vietnam went home with 175 medals (73-57-45 gold-silver-bronze). The Philippines won gold medals in swimming, athletics, powerlifting, table tennis and chess while bagging the silver in sailing and bronze in the wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis events. Powerlifter Adelyn Dumapon set a new games record. Ernie Gawilan led the country’s record-breaking campaign in swimming when he won three gold medals setting new times in his events. Bea Riza Roble and Arnel Aba added three more gold medals and three new Games records. Other record-breaking athletes are Marites Burce (discus and shotput), Jerrold Pete Manghiwan (100 and 400 meter runs), Prudencia Panaligan (100m run), Anne Grace Aberto (200m run), and Joel Balatucan and Juanito Mingarene both in shotput. Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (PhilSpADA) president Michael Barredo, former Olympic swimmer and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Akiko Thompson, Carlos Weber Jr. and Gerardo Rosario accompanied the team to the Games. – GMANews.TV