MANILA – King James Reyes bagged the bronze in the men’s 1,500-meter T46 event in the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan.
The 24-year-old native of Loreto, Agusan del Sur clocked a personal-best four minutes and 13.81 seconds at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium
Sri Lanka’s Wahumpurage Puwakpitikande won the race with a new meet record of 4:03.25 followed by India’s Parmod Bijarnia (4:09.65).
“It’s my personal best,” said Reyes, who lost his arm after falling from a macopa tree at age five.
“Alam ko na po sa sarili ko na kayang-kaya ko pong mag-podium. Pinaghandaan po kasi namin, kasama ’yung mga sakripisyo namin (I know within myself that I am fully capable of reaching the podium. We prepared for this—sacrifices and all),” the graduating Sports Science student at Adamson University said.
In other athletics results, Evaristo Carbonel posted a personal-best 27.18 meters in the men’s discus throw F11 but placed fifth in the five-man field, while Edwin Enguito Jr. was fourth in the men’s high jump T63 after clearing 1.63 meters.
Over at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, Wilfredo Bugayong II and Violeta Sapalit both reached the knockout rounds but failed to make the podium in wheelchair fencing saber.
Bugayong defeated Hong Kong’s Lee Sheung Ho, 15-5, to reach the men’s Category A round of 16 before bowing to China’s Cheng Yang, 6-15.
Sapalit absorbed a 6-15 loss to South Korea’s Kim Yeji.
Heading into the final day, the Philippines has two golds, two silvers and two bronzes in the medal tally board. (Jean Malanum/PNA)
