PH targets 4th in Para

The Philippines will be banking on its homecourt advantage when it hosts the 10th ASEAN Para Games in 2020.

ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) chairman Mike Barredo said they are looking to come up with at least a fourth-place finish in this prestigious multi-sport event for differently-abled athletes set from June 18 to 25.

Barredo said they are looking at staging at least 16 sports, including wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

They will also hold boccia chess, cerebral palsy football, football 5-A side, goalball, para archery, para athletics, para badminton, para cycling, para powerlifting, para swimming, para table tennis, sitting volleyball and tenpin bowling.

The APSF is looking to use the New Clark City in Tarlac as the main hub with the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and Philsports Arena in Pasig City as satellite venues as well as the massive Philippine Arena, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be staged.

Barredo said they want to have a festive opening and closing ceremonies since the country’s hosting coincides with the 20th foundation of the APSF.

“It’s a milestone year for the APSF and the Philippines because it coincides with the 20th foundation of the federation,” said Barredo at the end of the APSF Federation council meeting yesterday at Shangri-La Bonifacio Global City.

“But aside from competition and our goal to enable the athletes to inspire the world, we want to have a fun ASEAN Para Games here in 2020. As the saying goes: It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

The last time the country competed in this tourney was in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur where it harvested 20 gold, 20 silver and 29 bronze medals.

It was a slight improvement from its finish in 2015 in Singapore where it collected only 16 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze medals.

Barredo said the ultimate goal is to be on top.

“Of course we want to be number 1, we want to be inside the top 3 but Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are there so our goal is to at least a top 4 finish,” he said.

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