PH teams win gold, silver in Special Olympics

The Philippine football team (in white with red and blue stripe) in action in the 2013 Special Olympics in Newcastle, Australia. Photo from Vivian Hayles (LightMagic Images – Flicker).

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine team wound up with silver and gold medals in the football competition of the Special Olympics 2013 held in New Castle, Australia, recently.

Composed of mentally-challenged athletes from La Union province, the Filipinos overcame American Samoa to rule the five-a-side football category.

The football team, which qualified in the 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles, underwent rigid training for the Special Olympics Asia-Pacific Games from June to November, said coach Joan Jean Chan.

Chan, a special education teacher from Aringay town and one of the 10 coaches for La Union, is hoping that hard work will carry them again in the summer games.

“We still have one and a half years to practice and we are praying for the best,” Chan told the Philippine Information Agency.

In the 11-a-side team, meanwhile, the PH squad carried by delegates from Baguio City and the National Capital Region, yielded to Bangladesh and salvaged the silver medal.

At least 2,000 athletes and 600 coaches attended the Asia-Pacific Games of the Special Olympics, which uses sports to encourage personal growth among those with intellectual disabilities.