PH athletes begin Asian Para Games bid

RIDING the momentum of a historic campaign at the 20th Asian Games, a determined delegation of 69 Filipino athletes is primed and ready to conquer the podium at the 5th Asian Para Games, which officially kicked off on Sunday at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. Despite losing chess — an event that accounted for eight of the country’s 10 gold medals during the 2023 edition in Hangzhou — Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) President Mike Barredo remains intensely optimistic about the nation's medal prospects, emphasizing that the team's drive and readiness remain at an all-time high. "They made sure chess was not included because we would surely win. But I pushed for it. We forced it through," Barredo said, acknowledging the deliberate hurdle while doubling down on the team's fighting spirit. With full backing from the PSC, the national contingent is locked in to make up for the absence of their former powerhouse event. The Philippines is set to contest 11 sports, including swimming, athletics, cycling, table tennis, and taekwondo. Coaching staff share the strong outlook that the country’s representatives are physically and mentally equipped to mix it up with Asia's elite. “Skills-wise, we are right there. As we’ve seen during training, the consistency...