Filipino para-athletes were off to a promising start Monday in the first hectic day of action in the 11th ASEAN Para Games with five golds–three from swimming and two from athletics – at the Manahan Stadium here and at the Jatadiri Sports Complex pool in Semarang, Indonesia.
Moments after swimming’s Ernie Gawilan and Roland Sabido and athletics’ Cendy Asusano took gold, a couple of athletes also stamped their class in their respective fields.
Team captain Jerrold Mangliwan regained his men’s wheelchair 100-meter T52 title with a victorious time of 19.18 seconds.
A Tokyo Paralympic Games veteran, Mangliwan led a similar 1-2 PH finish in the event after being challenged by newcomer Rodrigo Podiotan Jr., who placed a strong second and settled for the silver medal.
Also in the afternoon, Angel Otom added swimming’s third mint in a memorable ASEAN Para Games debut in ruling the women’s 50-meter backstroke event in a time of 41.68 seconds in the stint sponsored by the Philippines Sports Commission.
Two-time Asian Para Games silver medalist Achelle Guion was forced to play second fiddle in the women’s 45-kilogram division of powerlifting with a hoist of 70 kilos behind hometown bet Ni Nenga Widiasih, who took the gold with a lift of 97 kilograms.
Also contributing a bronze medal each for athletics were Joel Balatucan, Daniel Enderes Jr., Arman Dino, and Jesebel Tordecilla in the men’s shot put F55, men’s 5,000-meter T20 race, men’s 100-meter T47 race, and women’s discus throw F55, respectively.
Swimming also contributed another bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay while veteran powerlifter Marydol Pamati-an also had bronze in the women’s 41-kg class with a lift of 70 kilos.
Overnight, table tennis also made its modest medal contribution with two bronze medals in the men’s team Class 4 through Billy Cartera, Racleo Martinez, and Darwin Salvacion and in the men’s class 8 doubles courtesy of Jobert Lumanta and Jayson Ocampo.
Counting the silver in men’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball last Sunday, the Filipinos now boast an early overall medal tally of five gold, four silver, and nine bronze medals.
The country’s standard-bearers aim to surpass the haul of 20 gold, 20 silver, and 29 bronze medals, good for fifth overall, in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
