28TH GOLD. Andrei Kuizon celebrates after he was declared champion in the men's javelin throw F54 on Thursday, giving the Philippines its 28th gold medal at the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Thursday (June 8, 2023). It was his second gold after winning the shot put. (Media pool photo)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday hailed the Filipino para-athletes for bringing pride and honor to the country after participating in the recently concluded 12th ASEAN Para Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In a Facebook post, Marcos congratulated the para-athletes for showcasing their talents and bringing home 34 gold medals, surpassing its 28-gold harvest in Surakarta, Indonesia last year.
"Binabati natin ang ating mga para athletes na nakilahok sa 2023 ASEAN Para Games sa Cambodia (We congratulate our para athletes who participated in the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia)," he said.
"Sa 34 na gold, 33 na silver, at 50 bronze medals na inyong pinanalo, pinakita ninyo ang galing at husay ng mga para athletes sa bansa at pinatunayang hindi hadlang ang kapansanan sa pag-abot ng mga pangarap (With the 34 gold, 33 silver, and 50 bronze medals that you bagged, you showed the talent and skills of the country’s para athletes and proved that disability is not an obstacle to achieving dreams)."
Apart from 34 gold medals, the Philippines also won 33 silvers and 50 bronzes, finishing fifth overall.
Marcos said the Philippine team's participation in this year's ASEAN Para Games is a testament that unity prevails in the country.
"Dala ninyo ay hindi lamang karangalan para sa Pilipinas kundi mas malalim na pagkakaisa sa pagitan ng mga bansa sa rehiyon. Mabuhay ang atletang Pinoy (You brought not only honor for the Philippines but deeper unity among the countries in the region. Long live the Filipino athletes)!" he said.
Indonesia secured its third consecutive overall title after bagging 153 golds, 141 silvers, and 93 bronzes.
Thailand, which will host the 2025 edition in Korat, settled for second place with 123 golds, 107 silvers, and 92 bronzes, followed by Vietnam (66-56-78) and Malaysia (47-38-35).
Myanmar ranked sixth (15-23-19), followed by Singapore (12-15-17), Cambodia (9-18-43), Brunei (3-3-2), Timor Leste (2-0-0), and Laos (0-2-9).
In the Para Games hosted by Indonesia in 2022, the Philippines finished in fifth place with 28 golds, 30 silvers, and 46 bronzes for a total of 104 medals. (PNA)
