ASEAN Para Games 2023 Day 7: PH makes history after hiking gold tally to 34

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Khmer's capital saw history rewritten after the Philippines earned its biggest gold haul in the ASEAN Para Games' 22-year history.

On Day 7 of the biennial meet for differently abled athletes, June 8, the nationals collected seven golds en route to improving the country's gold count to 34 for a historic performance.

In last year's APG edition in Surakarta, Indonesia, the Filipino contingent finished fifth with 28 golds on top of 30 silvers and 46 bronzes.

The Philippine para-chess team collected six golds behind National Master Darry Bernardo, Cheyzer Mendoza, and Sander Severino, who collected two gold medals each.

Andrei Kuizon won the para-athletics lone gold medal contribution in men's javelin throw F53/F54.

The Philippines made a splash on the final day of the para-chess competitions behind the impressive showing of Darry Bernardo.

Bernardo became the only Filipino six-gold medalist in Phnom Penh 2023 after ruling the men's individual blitz VI-B2/B3 and men's team blitz VI-B2/B3, with Arman Subaste and Menandro Redor.

He did this after reigning supreme in the individual standard chess VI-B2/B3 and team standard chess VI-B2/B3, alongside his fellow blitz teammates last Wednesday. On June 4, he topped the individual rapid VI-B2/B3, while their trio of Redor and Israel Peligro clinched the team rapid VI-B2/B3 gold.

One gold shy of Bernardo, Cheyzer Mendoza finished her APG 2023 campaign with five golds after capturing the women's individual blitz PI event and topping the women's team blitz PI tilt alongside Cheryl Angot and Jean-Lee Nacita.

Mendoza last Monday took home the individual rapid chess PI crown, which she followed with two golds on June 7 in the individual standard P1 and team standard PI, alongside Angot and Fe Mangayayam.

Snapping his silver medal streak, Sander Severino finally broke through the gold column after claiming the men's individual blitz PI and men's team blitz PI with Felix Aguilera and Henry Lopez.

The national para-chess team contributed 13 golds overall to become the best-performing squad for the Philippines, surpassing the para swimmers and para athletics' 10-gold production each.

With his triumphant men's javelin throw F54 stint, Andrei Kuizon gave the Philippines its first gold and 28th overall in APG 2023 Day 7 at Morodok Techo National Stadium.

The organizers declared Kuizon as the F54 champion for men's javelin throw after separating the F34 and F54 categories. (READ: Andrei Kuizon hands PH 28th gold in ASEAN Para Games)

"The TIC (organizers) decided to give the gold to Andrei. We have the document they sent and his gold medal." national track and field assistant coach Bernard Bren said on behalf of head coach Joel Deriada.

In the combined F34-F54 category, the 23-year-old Filipino para-athletics ace settled for silver after throwing 19.03 meters on Wednesday, with Vietnam's Vivan Tung taking the gold behind a 21.33-meter effort.

This is the STI-Las Piñas' second gold in the tournament as he ruled the men's shot put F53/54 event on Tuesday.

"It's nice to win, I am happy for the medals I won here in Cambodia," the senior Information Technology (IT) student said.

Kuizon failed to win a medal of any color in his debut last year in Indonesia, landing fourth in the shot put and discus throw and finishing fifth in the javelin throw.

The Philippine para-athletics team tallied 10 golds, 10 silvers, and 11 bronzes in the 2023 biennial meet to eclipse their 6-4-14 gold-silver-bronze tally in 2022.