Philippines starts Para Games in wheelchair hoops vs host China
HANGZHOU — With the exception of one judoka who was left at home due to illness, all 72 national para athletes who will see action in the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games are present accounted for, according to Philippine chef de mission Ral Rosario.
“We had one judoka who got sick and was unable to make it here, but other than that all of the other 72 athletes are here,” said Mr. Rosario as he met the second batch of the Philippine contingent last Tuesday afternoon at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport here.
Composed of 57 athletes and officials, among who arrived were those from archery, judo, powerlifting and table tennis, with national para swimmer Ernie Gawilan, a triple gold medalist in the 2018 3rd Jakarta Para Games. and veteran power lifter Adeline Dumapong among them.
Also arriving late Monday night from Jakarta, Indonesia was chess player Jasper Rom, who won a gold each as the PHL chessers swept the men’s team standard and rapid events five years ago in the Indonesian capital.
A former national swimming standout, Mr. Rosario said that except for the cool weather in the evening as autumn sets in “all our athletes are adjusting quite well and settling in as they gear for their respective events” in the trip supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
He also praised the Hangzhou Asian Para Games organizers “for being very helpful and accommodating in meeting our needs and requests,” adding that Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) President Mike Barredo was scheduled to arrive Thursday from Manila.
Scheduled on Friday is the welcome ceremony at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Village for all of the participants in the continental competition in this bustling and progressive port city, according to Mr. Rosario.
With 57 athletes competing in 10 sports, the Philippines brought home 10 gold, eight silver and 11 bronze medals while winding up 11th in the overall standings in the previous edition of the continental showcase five years ago.
Mr. Barredo said equaling if not surpassing that haul was the goal here, on top of the extra motivation of excelling since some sports such as athletics, swimming, power lifting and archery in the competition also serve as ranking or qualifying meets for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
The national men’s wheelchair basketball team breaks the ice for Team Philippines against host China no less at the start of the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games basketball tournament at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium Thursday.
The Filipino cagers, who will make their debut in the continental meet, take to the floor against the Chinese at 4:15 p.m., with coach Vernon Perea bent on stifling the reputed lethal outside shooting of their hosts in opening Group A action.
“If we can defend well against the outside shooting of the Chinese, we may have a chance against them. But admittedly it will be a hard and tough match for us ,” said the bespectacled mentor of the challenges they face.
The Pilipinas Warriors, as the PHL men’s wheelchair squad is known, earned their trip here after finishing third in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation Asia-Oceania Championships last May in Suphanburi, Thailand behind Kuwait and Thailand.
This success was followed by the PHL wheelchair quintet securing a pair of silvers in the men’s 3×3 and 5×5 competitions of the Cambodia ASEAN Para Games a month later.
In the build-up to the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, Mr. Perea’s charges captured the bronze medal in the Yutaka Nakamura Asian Dream Cup International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in Japan last July.
Mr. Perea bared that they wound up in a tough group that also includes Iran, Thailand, Afghanistan in the outing backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
He bared on the eve of the opening match that the team’s morale was high after they won a tune-up match with the Taiwanese 42-36 Wednesday morning before the meet takes a two-day break
Without revealing their total game plan, Mr. Perea said that “we can connect with our inside passes because I believe that our players can battle the Chinese on even terms in and around the basket.”
The Pilipinas Warriors play the Afghans on Friday before the tournament takes a two-day respite for the opening on Sunday.
