Differently abled athletes to get cash incentives

MANILA, Philippines - Differently abled Filipino athletes are set to receive cash incentives for winning medals in the sixth Association of Southeast Asian Nations ParaGames in Indonesia last month.

Josephine Medina copped four gold medals to go with a silver and a bronze in table tennis worth P87,500.

“This was just approved unanimously by the board and we will release the money as soon as we can complete the requirements,” said Guillermo Iroy, executive assistant to Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia yesterday.

Medina struck gold in singles class 6-10, singles class 7-8, mixed doubles class 9 with Pablo Catalan Jr. and women’s team class 10 with Minnie Cadag. She teamed up with Cadag to snatch a silver in women’s doubles class 6-10 Open and a bronze in Class 10.

Tanker Ernie Gawilan emerged the second money earner with P75,000 after topping the 100-meter backstroke S8, 200m individual medley S8 and 400m freestyle S8 while trackster Panaligan Prudencia pocketed P65,000 for copping a pair of golds in 200m T54 and 400m T54 and a silver in 100m T54.

Another swimmer, Arnel Aba, earns P60,000 for a gold in the 200m IM S9 and 400m free S9 and a bronze in 100m back S9.

Paraplegic Sander Severino, a 25-years old FIDE Master who hails from Silay City, Negros Occidental, will get P42,000 after bagging three gold medals in chess.

Former Olympic bronze medalist Adeline Dumampong-Ancheta also won the gold in the 82.5kg and over category in powerlifting to keep her reign in the biennial meet.