Cyclist’s silver first PH para games medal

KUALA LUMPUR—Arthus Bucay, a Paralympics veteran and an Asian Games medal winner, handed Team Philippines its first medal by racing to a silver in the men’s kilometer C5 track event of cycling in yesterday’s opening of the 9th Asean Para Games at Velodrome Nasional Malaysia in Nilai Negeri Sembilan here.

The 37-year-old Bucay, who also competed in the 2012 London Paralympics and 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games, where he pocketed a bronze, clocked 1 hour, 15 minutes and 4.32 seconds to snare the silver in the event where he wasn’t expected to deliver.

“We had limited training because the event was just added at the last minute,” said coach Nortberto Oconer, himself a former Olympian.

Malaysian Zuhaire Bin Amad Tarimzi booked the gold in 1:09.690 while Indonesian Sufyan Saori claimed the bronze in 1:19.170.

Bucay, who figured in a cycling race accident in 2013 that left him with an unproportioned pair of legs, goes for the gold in the 4000m individual pursuit on Monday.

In table tennis, Billy Smith Cartera and Darwin Salvacion routed Cambodia’s Voy Yasal and Ch Parnsamoth, 3-0, in the men’s event TT4 that practically assured them of at least a bronze.