Adefuin, Diesto make huge splash

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Team Philippines made an early splash as para swimmers Raemond Adefuin and Mary Hannah Diesto captured one gold and one silver medal, respectively, in the Asian Youth Para Games at the Hamdan Sports Complex here.

The 15-year-old Adefuin clocked 35.84 seconds to rule the boys 12-16 50-meter butterfly multi-class S2-7, beating Indonesia’s Komang Aditya Pradnyana (45.40 seconds) and Japan’s Ryuga Yamada (46.39 seconds).

“It’s a big victory for me because I beat my personal best of 36 seconds,” said Adefuin, a Grade 10 student at Kabulusan Integrated National High School in Laguna, in Filipino.

“I’m grateful for my coaches and teammates who supported me in this endeavor.”

Diesto, for her part, clinched the silver in the girls 12-15 200m freestyle multi-class S1-S5 with a time of two minutes and 51.95 seconds behind eventual gold medalist Siti Aisyah of Indonesia (2:26.50). Malaysia’s Asyiil Raziin Binti Razman bagged the bronze in 2:52.03.

In wheelchair basketball, the Filipinos showed grit with three straight victories to advance to the quarterfinals at the Al Ahli Club.

The Nationals opened up with a 14-6 drubbing of Saudi Arabia, then escaped with host United Arab Emirates, 10-9.

They returned with more determination and squeaked past Thailand in extra period, 13-12, courtesy of Edgardo Ochaves’ last basket.

Ochaves anchored the crew by finishing with 11 points.

“We stuck to our game plan, especially with our defense,” said head coach Vernon Perea, whose team is currently battling Bangladesh at press time.

At the Dubai Club for People of Determination, Ramces Tuala opened his campaign in the men’s U23 men’s singles Class 8 with victories over Iran’s Arsham Ramazani, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7, and Singapore’s Jayden Low, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4.

“At first, I was nervous, but eventually I was able to get my composure even in the crucial moments,” the 22-year-old Tuala on his maiden appearance in the Games, said.

Lhey Manginsay, likewise, made her campaign felt in the women’s U23 singles Class 9 with an 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 triumph over Iran’s Amirali Ahmadi

Zidrez dela Cruz, however, was not so fortunate as he bowed to India’s Vishwa Tambe, 3-11, 4-11, 5-11, and Kazakhstan’s Akseleu Zhumash, 7-11, 8-11, 5-11, in the men’s U23 singles’ Class 10.

Vroxzield Cabanero also fell short in his campaign over Chinese Taipei’s Huang Ren Ting, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4.