PHL loses ground in Para Games medal race

But bowler Kim Ian Chi adds gold, PHL sits at 12th place

AFTER placing fifth early in the medal race of the ongoing 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines lost some ground but nonetheless added another gold medal in its total haul.

As of 12 noon on Tuesday, the Team Philippines was at 12th place in the third staging of the Para Games with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals to show for.

Bowler Kim Ian Chi provided the latest gold hardware for the Philippines after topping the mixed singles TPB10 event on Monday at the Jaya Ancol Bowling Centre in Jakarta.

Mr. Chi, 39, produced an average score of 231.30 to rule his event, ahead of silver medal winner Wonju Hong (229.80) of South Korea and bronze winners Raiwin Phisitthanakul of Thailand and Swang Hee Tan of Singapore with identical scores of 221.70.

Bowler Chi’s gold was in addition to that won by swimmer Erwin Gawilan on Oct. 7 where he topped the men’s 200m individual medley SM7.

Gawilan of Davao City, who was born with no legs and an underdeveloped left limb, registered the best time in the event of 2:52.43. He beat out ChineseTaipei’s Chen Liang Da (2:55.90) and India’s Jadhav Suyash Narayan (2:56.51).

He also won a silver in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 on Oct. 7 with a time of 31.93 seconds behind gold medallist Wei Soong Toh (29.01s).

Other medal winners so far for Team Philippines are Achelle Guion (silver) in the women’s -45kg in powerlifting, Gary Bejino (bronze) in men’s 100m backstroke S6 in swimming, and Arthus Bucay (bronze) in men’s time trial C5 in cycling.

China sits on top of the leader board with 44 gold, 18 silver and 18 bronze medals followed by South Korea (16-10-5), Uzbekistan (13-5-3), Japan (11-20-19), and Iran (10-9-12).

Rounding out the top 10 are Indonesia (5-10-14), India (4-611), Vietnam (4-1-6), Thailand (3-8-11), and Hong Kong (3-2-6).

In the last Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014, the Philippines finished at 24th place with five silver and five bronze medals. —