Bucay lands Phl first Para Games medal

KUALA LUMPUR – Paralympian Arthus Bucay delivered the Philippines its first medal – a silver in the men’s kilometer (C5) event of track cycling at the start of the ninth ASEAN Para Games at the Velodrome Nasional Malaysia in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan here yesterday.

Bucay, a 37-year-old 2012 London Paralympics veteran and bronze medal winner in the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games, clocked one hour, 15 minutes, 4.32 seconds to finish runner-up in the event added only at the last minute.

Malaysian Zuhaire Bin Amad Tarimzi took the gold in 1:09.69 while Indonesian Sufyan Saori bagged the bronze in 1:19.170.

“We weren’t really expecting anything from this event because it was only added late. We didn’t get to train much,” said cycling coach Norberto Oconer, a two-time cycling Olympian.

“Good thing we still managed to win a silver,” he added.

The biennial event was officially ushered in last night with 3,300 athletes, coaches and officials from 11 participating nations parading in a display of colors at the main hub at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

Bucay, a Marikina City native who suffered an accident in a cycling race in 2013, shoots for the gold in the 4000m individual pursuit at 4:30 p.m. today.

Over at the Hall 8 of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Center, Billy Cartera and Darwin Salvacion routed Cambodia’s Voy Yasal and Ch Parnsamoth, 3-0, in the men’s event TT4 of table tennis to assure themselves of at least a bronze medal.

After winning their first two singles matches, the Cartera-Salvacion tandem overpowered Yasal and Parnsamoth in the doubles, 11-8, 11-1, 11-6.

The Filipinos take on the Vietnamese today for a crack at silver.

“This win assures us of a bronze because there are only four entries in this division,” said table tennis mentor Louise Eballa.

The win made up for stinging defeats of Rogelio Cezar and Jobert Lumanta and Pablo Catalan and Benedicto Gaela to their respective Indonesian rivals in the TT8 and TT9 class, respectively.

In goalball, the Phl survived a late collapse as it edged Cambodia, 12-11, to bolster its bid for the gold.

With the Filipinos up by four, 12-8, coach Freddie Estacion pulled out starters Jolan Camacho, Jomer Anden and Lemuel Garcia in favor of James dela Cerna, Jefferson Balenton and Jeff Fernando, enabling the Cambodians to score three straight goals and close the gap at 11-12 with nine seconds to go.

But the Filipinos held on to preserve the lead and the win.

“I just wanted to give the other players the chance to play. It will not happen again,” said Estacion, whose wards face the Laos side today.

Meanwhile, the chase for the gold medals heats up today with the Filipino bets joining the hunt in athletics and medal-rich swimming.

Rio Paralympics bronze medalist Josephine Medina also kicks off her gold medal bid in table tennis.

Over at the aquatics center, Filipino tankers will compete in 10 events, to be led by 2015 Singapore edition double gold medal winners Gary Bejino and Ernie Gawilan.

Bejino vies in the 100m freestyle S7 and will team up with Gawilan, Roland Sabido and Arnel Aba in the 4x100m free.

Others competing in the pool are Sabido (100m free S9), Claire Calizo (100m women S14), Judy Ann Neblasca (50m breaststroke and 100m free S14), Adrian Azul (200m free S14), Aba (50m breast SB8), Edwin Villanueva (50m breast SB8) and Patrick Crisostomo (50m breast S14).

Romeo Tamayaw (49kg), Marydol Pamatian (41kg) and Achelle Guion (41kg) also launch their bid in powerlifting while Joey de Leon, David Gonzaga and Anna Amizola tackle separate foes in boccia, both set at MITEC.

In wheelchair basketball, the Phl faces Laos in the 5-on-5 and Myanmar in the 3-on-3.