PHL places 5th so far in ASEAN Para Games

Filipino para-athletes have so far bagged 65 medals, 19 of them gold, in the 9th ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is set to end Saturday, September 23.

This places the Philippine para games team in the tentative rank of fifth place out of 11 participating countries in the international multi-sport event for people with disabilities that started on September 17.

Indonesia is on currently top of the leaderboard, with 117 gold medals. Host country Malaysia, despite having more medals in the overall tally, follows at second, with 89 gold medals. Thailand has 62, and Vietnam has 40 gold medals so far.

Myanmar and Singapore currently have 11 and eight gold medals, respectively. Brunei and Timor Leste both have two gold medals, while Cambodia and Laos place last with no gold medals so far.

The Philippine delegation fielded athletes in nine major categories: para athletics, chess, para swimming, para cycling, tenpin bowling, para powerlifting, para table tennis, para archery and wheelchair basketball.

Of all the categories, the para athletics team have gathered the most number of medals: 20, and nine of them gold.

The Philippine team has also won a tentative total of 20 silver and 26 bronze medals so far.

Events for the Para Games will wrap up today. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/LBG, GMA News