(Photo courtesy of PNA)
MANILA, Philippines – Para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Ariel Joseph Alegarbes, along with unbeaten boxer Carl Jammes Martin, headlined the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s (PSA) outstanding Filipino athletes for October following their impressive performances in international competitions.
Gawilan successfully defended his men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 title at the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, while adding a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley SM7.
Fellow para swimmer Alegarbes also delivered a gold-medal performance after dominating the men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 event.
Joining the two swimmers among the month’s top performers was Martin, who captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver featherweight title with a split-decision victory over highly favored Mexican fighter Alan David Picasso.
The 27-year-old Igorot boxer secured the win on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbili super-middleweight event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Martin improved his undefeated professional record to 29-0 and expressed readiness to face higher-ranked opponents in the featherweight division or pursue a shot at the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight championship.
Ramos sisters shine in world weightlifting championships
Filipino weightlifters also delivered notable performances at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in China.
Sisters Rose Jean and Rosegie Ramos each secured bronze medals in the snatch event.
Rose Jean, 20, lifted 86 kilograms to finish third in the women’s 49kg division, while 22-year-old Rosegie claimed bronze with a 97kg lift in the women’s 53kg category.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Albert Ian Delos Santos narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in the men’s 70kg division.
Despite missing a medal, Delos Santos established two junior world records, lifting 187kg in the clean and jerk and posting a 331kg total.
Antonio, Manas deliver international podium finishes
Veteran Grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. continued his strong international campaign at age 64, winning the 34th Erkel Memorial Blitz Chess Championship in Gyula, Hungary.
Antonio finished with 6.5 points to secure the championship.
In billiards, 19-year-old AJ Manas claimed runner-up honors at the Qatar 10-ball World Cup, further establishing himself among the country’s promising young pool players.
The result followed his silver-medal finish alongside Carlo Biado at the WPA Men’s Doubles 10-ball World Championship in Bali, Indonesia, several weeks earlier.
More medals for Filipino para athletes
Other Filipino para athletes also contributed to the country’s medal haul at the Asian Para Games.
Lhey Marie Manginsay and Jan Wilfred Redulla captured silver in the mixed doubles XD17 event.
Ma. Ravina Carpena secured bronze in the women’s shot put F20, while King James Reyes finished third in the men’s 1,500-meter T46 event.
Para swimmer Raemond Adefuin also earned bronze in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB6.
The performances highlighted the achievements of Filipino athletes across para swimming, boxing, weightlifting, chess, billiards and athletics during October.
