Gawilan leads 5-gold haul in Para Games

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines rode on tankers Ernie Gawilan and Roland Sabido plus thrower Cendy Asusano in capturing three gold medals in the morning session of the ASEAN Para Games in Solo, Indonesia yesterday.

A triple gold winner in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games, Gawilan delivered on his promise with a golden swim in the 400-meter freestyle S7 in four minutes and 54.87 seconds in one of the events he is expected to conquer.

Sabido teamed up with countryman Arnel Aba for a fantastic 1-2 finish in the 400m freestyle S9 class by posting times of 5:09.40 and 5:14.13, respectively, to the delight of the small but loud Filipino fans that cheered for them at the Jatadiri Sports Complex pool.

Asusano went to work early and heaved 13.72 meters in claiming the women’s javelin F54 mint that set in motion her bid of replicating, if not eclipsing, her three-gold haul five years ago in Kuala Lumpur.

“I’m thankful I already contributed something to the Philippine team,” said the 31-year-old Gawilan.

In the afternoon events, wheelchair racer Jerold Mangliwan and tanker Angel Otom topped their respective disciplines to make it a five-gold haul by the Filipinos.

Mangliwan copped the men’s 100m T52 gold, and Otom the women’s 50m backstroke S5 mint.

Winning bronze medals in athletics were Joel Balatucan, Daniel Enderes Jr., Armand Dino and Jesebel Tordecilla in the men’s shot put F55, men’s 5,00-meter T20 race, men’s 100-meter T47 race and women’s discus throw F55.