HANGZHOU, China — Wheelchair racer Jerrold Pete Mangliwan came charging down the last 30 meters, slipping past erstwhile Japanese frontrunner Ueyonabaru Hirota to complete a thrilling come-from-behind win in the men’s 400-meter T52 finals of the 4th Asian Para Games here Friday.
After making his move at the halfway mark, Mangliwan, racing in lane 6, was running second entering the homestretch and was neck-and-neck with Hirota before nosing out his Japanese foe in a personal best time of one minute and 1.54 seconds to the latter’s one minute and 01.79 seconds.
In a race witnessed by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachman, commissioner Walter Torres and Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo, the Tokyo Paralympian delivered the country’s fifth gold medal here, and its first in athletics in the continental sportsfest.
The Tabuk, Kalinga native also became the country’s third double medalist in this competition backed by the PSC after swimmer Ernie Gawilan and chess player Menandro Redor, who won two golds on Thursday, respectively,
Mangliwan’s success also enabled the country to remain at No. 12 in the overall medal standings among 44 countries seeing action on the penultimate day of the Asian Para Games in this beautiful port city.
“Coach Joel Deriada to stay strong and believe in your endurance. What you’ve shown in the first 100 meters, just trust yourself and you’ll get the victory,” said an elated Mangliwan of the winning strategy that also gave him the silver medal in the men’s 100-meter T52 race three days ago.
He said that he was undaunted by his formidable Japanese foes in Hirota, a bronze medalist in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Ito Tatsuya, who won the men’s 100-meter T52 gold last Tuesday and took the bronze (1:04.96).
Gawilan was hopeful that because of his success here “this will be the start that para athletes will be just equally recognized as their able-bodied counterparts. I hope this is the start that they will treat us as equal with other sectors.”
Teammate Arman Dino clocked 55.45 seconds and finished seventh overall in the heats to advance to the finals of the men’s 400-meter T47 finals Saturday.
After a fruitful outing in the standard event, Filipino para chessers resumed their medal hunt and were in the thick of the fight for gold in three categories of the rapid event — both the men’s and women’s PI (Physically Impaired) and B2-B3 Men’s divisions, respectively.
Veteran Henry Roger Lopez, a silver medalist in the men’s individual standard, shared top spot after four rounds with 3.5 points each with Iran’s Aski after both fought to a fighting draw in the fourth round of the men’s PI class.
