MANILA, Philippines - Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta of Kiangan, Ifugao matched her ASEAN ParaGames record of 120 kgs. to bag the gold medal in the first PSC-Philspada National Games at the Marikina Sports Park in Marikina City last Sunday.
“She has to match or surpass her personal record for her to earn the gold,” said Carlos Weber Jr., sec-gen of the organizing Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled-National Paralympics Committee of the Philippines (Philspada-NPC Phils).
The 38-year-old athlete with polio cleared 120 kgs. in the 82.5-kg weight category, the same weight she lifted when she set the new ASEAN ParaGames mark in Indonesia last December.
She had actually thought of going for a new mark but later decided to save her strength for the fourth Fazaa International Powerlifting Competition in Dubai, a qualifying event to the 2012 London Paralympic Games, slated Feb. 21-27.
Since she first competed in the Paralympics in 2000 in Australia where she won a bronze, Ancheta had wanted to return to the games but motherhood derailed her bid in 2002.
“Of course, when you stopped training, it’s back to zero again,” she said. “But now I feel stronger and hopeful of winning the gold in London.”
In 2000, her bronze medal lift was only 110 kgs. The silver back then was 115 kgs and the gold 120 kgs.
“My gym record now is 125 to 127 so I feel I have a chance especially with Li Rui Fang of China reportedly retiring,” said Ancheta.
Fang won the gold medals in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Paralympics in the 82.5-kg category.
The other gold medal winners in the powerlifting tournament of the Philippine Sports Commission-backed games were Julius Jun Obero (48kg), Regino Cariaga (52kg), Enrico Burce Jr. (56kg), Agustin Kitan (60kg), Roland Maye (67.5kg), Darwin Lunag (75kg), Ronaldo Viceral (82.5kg) and Edmar Cuntapay (90kg) in the men’s and Jinky Guion (44kg) and Luz Casuco (67.5kg) in the distaff side.
In chess, Sander Severino took the gold in the physically handicapped category with Rainier Labay and John Franz De Asis getting the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Francis Ching, on the other hand, ruled the totally blind category, edging silver medalist Rodolfo Sarmiento and bronze medalist Anthony Abogado.
Menandro Redon, meanwhile, claimed the crown in the partially blind category over second placer Rodolfo Canonigo and third placer Ireneo Melchor Pizzaro.
In the traditional recreational sport of boccia, which was played as a demo sport for athletes with cerebral palsy, Charito Manlapaz secured the gold. Anna Leda took the silver and Malou Daniega settled for the bronze.
Meanwhile, the gold medal winners in the team events of tenpin bowling at the nearby Q-Plaza Bowling Lanes were Gina Espanol, Victor Casuco and Ernesto Gatchalian in the TB2 and TB3 classification; Roxanne Ng, Bryan Robles and Anton Silos in the TB4; Lloyd Uy, Ariscel Lobo and Jorelle Faytaren in the TB6; and Roque Espina, Ben Vallejos and Kim Lan Chi in the TB9 and TB 10.