PH athletes haul 8 golds in ASEAN Para Games, near 2017 total in just 2nd day

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine para-athlete delegation continued to rake in gold medals with an eight-gold haul on Tuesday, August 2 at the 11th ASEAN Para Games in Surakata, Indonesia.

Now with a total of 13 golds to go with 12 silvers, and 18 bronzes, Team Philippines is already nearing the 20-20-29 tally it set back in the 2017 Malaysia Games – the last time the event was held before the pandemic – at just the second day of competition.

Headlining Tuesday’s gold rush is swimmer Joseph Alegarbes, who rose to a record-breaking double gold finish as an ASEAN Para Games rookie.

The 18-year-old ruled the 100-meter backstroke S14 event with a 1:03.01 finish – smashing the previous record of 1:03.60 in 2017. He then cruised in the 50-meter butterfly S14 in 26.43 seconds – obliterating the previous 30.01-second record also set in 2017.

“I feel like I am about to explode because I was not expecting this. This is for my father who led me into swimming. Without him I wouldn’t be here,” Alegarbes said.

Meanwhile, the Pinoy para chess team also shone with four golds on Tuesday after sweeping the men’s individual and team standard events of the P1 and VI B2-B3 categories.

FIDE Master Sander Severino and Menandro Redor reigned supreme in the men’s individual P1 and VI B2-B3 divisions, respectively.

Severino then defeated compatriot Henry Roger Lopez for the individual gold in the P1 class while Redor led an all-Filipino finish in the VI B2-B3 division with Arman Subaste and Darry Bernardo taking the silver and bronze, respectively.

Over to athletics, rookie King James Reyes topped the 5,000-meter race T46 event, while Jesebel Tordecilla notched a gold and bronze in women’s javelin throw F55 and shot put, respectively.

Cendy Asusano – fresh off a women’s javelin T54 gold on Monday, August 1 – setlled for bronze in women’s discus throw.

Ron Russel Mitra and Evaristo Carbonel also won bronze in men’s long jump T20 and men’s discus throw F11-13, respectively.

Finally, veteran swimmer Ernie Gawilan won silver in men’s 100-meter backstroke S7 after nabbing gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 event last Monday. – Rappler.com