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 is there. No complaints,” noted Para taekwondo coach Gershon Bautista.
While powerhouse China remains the ultimate hurdle — having dominated the 2023 medal table with 214 golds — the Philippine contingent is motivated to eclipse their previous ninth-place overall finish.
This hunger for success follows closely behind the able-bodied national team's stellar 29-medal harvest at the recent Asian Games, the country's best performance since 1966.
Barredo emphasized that the steady growth of local para sports serves as a testament to the athletes' relentless pursuit of excellence.
Looking beyond the Nagoya campaign, the PPC is aggressively pushing for grassroots integration — including efforts to include para events in the Batang Pinoy — to ensure a continuous pipeline of medal contenders for future international stages.
