Asean Para Games team eyes another 5th-place finish

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine team to the 7th Asean Para Games will aim to duplicate its fifth-place finish in the 11-nation meet to be held in Naypyitaw, Burma (Myanmar) on Jan. 11 to 21.

Mike Barredo, founder and chair of the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled-National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (Philspada-NPCP), said 57 athletes and 23 officials are hoping to match the feat in the 2011 Indonesia meet—24 gold, 27 silver and 28 bronze medals with Josephine Medina capturing four golds in table tennis.

“We hope to maintain our standings, although host Myanmar which finished below us two years ago, will definitely make an effort to get past us,” said Barredo during Tuesday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Barredo said only two golds are expected from Medina this time as table tennis events were reduced.