Philippine Para athletes optimistic of solid show

MANILA, Philippines, July 27 ------ The Philippine team to the 11th ASEAN Para Games slated July 30 to Aug. 6 in Solo, Indonesia left the country yesterday with one goal in mind make the country proud. The bulk of the 212-strong delegation took a chartered flight arranged by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). Leading the group is a 22-strong chess team optimistic of harvesting multiple gold medals. “We will do our best for the country,” said chess team coach James Infiesto, whose team will be bannered by 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games quadruple gold medalist Sander Severino.

The biennial event is finally pushing through after several postponements due to the pandemic. The PSC is spending P31.7 million to cover the country’s actual participation, excluding the P10.4 million for training equipment, supplies and uniforms and P7.7 million for their bubble training. “We support our national Para-athletes as much as we support our abled athletes. This is their chance to raise the flag again in the 11th ASEAN Para Games,” said PSC executive director and officer-in-charge Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. “We wish them all the best this APG. They are the greatest pride of the country, especially for the PWD community. We are all behind them, win or lose,” he added.

The Philippine chess team will to try to improve on its four-gold, three-silver, nine-bronze haul in the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur where Severino bagged three golds. Chess will stake a total of 36 golds – 12 in standard, 12 in rapid and 12 in blitz – in different classes of disability.

Source: philstar.com