WORLD Para Swimming Series 2019 silver medalist Ernie Gawilan will lead the cast for the 51-member Davao City delegation that will try to improve its 14th overall finish last year when the 2019 Philspada National Para Games gets underway on May 23 to 31 at the Bulacan Sports Complex, Malolos City, Bulacan.
Head of delegation Renah Vidamo of the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO) bared this during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao Thursday, May 16.
“Si Ernie atong isa sa mga kusog nga atleta nga mudula (Gawilan is one of our strongest bets),” she said.
Gawilan, also an Asian Para Games swimming gold medalist, recently clinched a silver in 400m freestyle event of the 2019 World Para Swimming Series in Singapore. Thus, he also secured a stint to the World Championships and Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The city is competing in 10 events - athletics, goal ball, table tennis, chess, badminton, archery, swimming, powerlifting, tenpin bowling, and wheelchair basketball.
“First time nato dunay mudula sa archery and powerlifting. Mas daghan pud atong athletes run. Mas dako atong chance nga musaka pa atong standing. Paningkamutan na musulod ta sa top 10 (It’s our first time to have entries in archery and powerlifting. We will also bring more athletes this time so we have bigger chance to improve our overall ranking. We will do our best to make it to the top 10),” she said, adding that the city collected 14 golds, 16 silvers and seven bronzes.
The City Government of Davao provided for the delegates’ air fare, allowance for 13 days and commissioned vehicles that will ferry the athletes and coaches from their billeting quarters to their respective playing venues.
The National Capital Region is the defending overall champion.