Ahead of the Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM) for the 12th ASEAN Para Games (APG) on May 28, Philippine Sports Commission’s Walter Torres, the Team Philippines Chef de Mission, expressed high hopes on the medal chances of national para-athletes set to compete in the Cambodia-hosted event in June.

A 259 Philippine Para team delegation – comprised of 174 strong and talented para-athletes – will participate in the 12th APG slated from June 3 to 9 in Phnom Penh.

Torres is optimistic that the national para team can surpass the country’s showing at the 11th ASEAN Para Games 2022 in Surakarta, Indonesia with 28 gold, 30 silver, and 46 bronze medals for fifth place in the 11-nation tournament. Torres was also the CDM on that edition.

“We would like to do better than last time. Our team will definitely give their best because everybody wants to win,” said CDM Torres.

The Philippine contingent will compete in 13 sports: athletics (23), badminton (9), boccia (8), chess (22), cerebral palsy football (10), goalball (12), judo (4), powerlifting (11), sitting volleyball (14) swimming (12), table tennis (21), wheelchair basketball (23), and esports (5) as demonstration sport.

“Pray for the success of our athletes in their pursuit of excellence. Excellence doesn’t just mean the number of medals won, it can also mean the development of one’s personality, character and leadership so that he or she becomes a positive influence on others,” CDM Torres said.

The PSC, in coordination with the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC), is scheduled to host the send-off party for the para-athletes on May 21 at the Multi-Purpose Arena (MPA) in Pasig City.