PH to send 57 athletes to the Asian Para Games

By Jean Malanum

Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta, shown here with the bronze medal she won in Japan last Wednesday, is one of medal contenders in the 3rd Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia next month. (Photo courtesy of Irene Soriano-Remo)
Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta, shown here with the bronze medal she won in Japan last Wednesday, is one of medal contenders in the 3rd Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia next month. (Photo courtesy of Irene Soriano-Remo)
Paralympics medalists Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta of powerlifting and Josephine Medina of table tennis will lead Team Philippines in the 3rd Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia next month.

Ancheta is the first Filipino medalist in the Paralympics when she won the bronze in Sydney, Australia in 2000.

Medina, on the other hand, bagged the bronze medal at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Filipinos will only compete in 10 out of the 18 sports calendared in the Asian Para Games scheduled on October 6-13. They are entered in archery (2), athletics (9), badminton (3), chess (12), cycling (2), judo (3), powerlifting (5), table tennis (6), swimming (5) and tenpin bowling (10).

Donning the national colors are Agustina Bantiloc and Giovanni Ola (archery); Prudencia Panaligan, Andy Avellana, Jerrold Pete Mangliwan, Joel Balatucan, Evaristo Carbonel, Jeanette Acebeda, Marites Burce, Arman Dino and Cendy Asusano (athletics); Jonas Matados, Paz Lita and Kathleen Pedrosa (badminton); Sander Severino, Henry Roger Lopez, Jasper Rom, Minandro Redor, Israel Peligro, Arman Subaste, Francis Ching, Rodolfo Sarmiento, Cecilio Bilog, Fe Mangayayam, Jean-lee Nacita and Cheryl Angot (chess); Arthus Bucay and Godfrey Taberna (cycling); Gener Padilla, Deterson Omas and Carlito Agustin (judo); and Achelle Guion, Agustin Kitan, Marydol Pamatian and Romeo Tayawa (powerlifting).

Also joining the Jakarta trip are Minnie Cadag, Benedicto Gaela, Pablo Catalan, Darwin Salvacion and Smith Billy Cartera (table tennis); Ernie Gawilan, Gary Bejino, Roland Subido, Arnel Aba and Edwin Villanueva (swimming); and Kim Ian Chi, Samuel Matias, Angelito Guloya, Christopher Yue, Francisco Ednaco, Jaime Manginga, Augusto Hernandez, Crisostomo Yao, Noel Espanol and Ruben San Diego (tenpin bowling).

Francis Carlos Diaz will serve as chef de mission of the Philippine delegation, with Dennis Esta as his deputy.

Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo and secretary general Ral Rosario are among other officials in the contingent, which also includes five medical personnel from the Philippine Sports Commission.

The Philippines is hoping to improve its five silvers and five bronzes finish in Incheon, South Korea four years ago. In the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the Filipinos won four silvers and three bronzes. (PNA)