PH just looking to improve standings in Asean Para Games

The Philippine delegation during the 9th ASEAN Para Games opening ceremony last Sunday, September 17th. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ Janneth Tenorio

MANILA, Philippines–Filipino para athletes don’t see the likelihood of a giant leap toward overall supremacy in the forthcoming 10th Asean Para Games.

Deploying its biggest delegation yet in the Games, Team Philippines chef de mission Francis Diaz would already feel gratified once they see progress from the country’s previous finish.

“Our commitment is to improve our last finish in the Asean Para Games. If we end up fourth, that’s an improvement already,’’ said Diaz.

“But it will be much better if we reach third overall because we always aspire for a podium finish,’’ added the dean of the UP College of Human Kinetics.

Team Philippines has enlisted 250 para athletes calendared to compete in 16 regular sports and one demonstration event, including 80 officials, in the largest sportsfest for differently abled athletes in the Asean region set March 20-28.

Filipino para athletes wound up with the best-ever overall finish of fifth place during the 2017 Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur with 20 gold, 20 silver and 29 bronze medals. Back then, there were only 20 athletes and 20 officials.

Thailand and Indonesia are the countries to beat as well as Malaysia and Vietnam in the coming APG set in New Clark City, Tarlac, Clark, Pampanga and Subic.

Diaz acknowledged the unprecedented backing that para athletes have been receiving from the Philippine Sports Commission as the stimulus that drove them to succeed in foreign-flavored meets.

“PSC Chairman (Butch) Ramirez has a soft spot in his heart for our para athletes. And he truly inspires them for the blockbuster support that the agency has been giving,’’ said Diaz.

The 11-nation biennial meet will be organized by the Philippine Paralympic Committee under its president Mike Barredo and the PSC, which spent P182 million for the training and foreign exposure of national para athletes from 2017 to 2019.

The PSC’s backing produced the likes of Asian Para Games triple-gold winner Ernie Gawilan (swimming), 2016 Paralympic Games bronze medalist Josephine Medina (table tennis) and Asian Para Games gold medalist Arthus Bucay (cycling) to name a few.

They were the athletes behind the historic 10-gold, 8-silver and 11-bronze medal performance of Team Philippines at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia.