THE Differently-Abled Talents, Entertainment and Sports (Dates) team has intensified its training as it will be sending five of its team members to the 2020 Asean Para Games.
Dates, a group composed of persons with disabilities (PWD) from Cebu Province, emerged as the champion in the 7th Philippine National Paralympic Games (PNG) last May 23-31, 2019 in Malolos, Bulacan.
Dates, which was formed in 2014, is a group of PWDs who want to achieve their dreams despite their disabilities through sports, according to the group’s founder and president Jocelyn Llesol.
Dates bagged 14 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 19 bronze medals to bag the back-to-back overall titles in the PNG.
Right now, Llesol said they have about 50 members and are still open for recruitment.
She said they want their group to get bigger since it is their way of helping other PWDs to be empowered and not be afraid to face the world.
One of the members is runner Earl Jay Gonzaga, a cerebral palsy patient.
Gonzaga had been bullied by his high school classmates and by his own teacher because of his condition before learning about Dates. He admitted he was treated differently even if he was just like the other students.
“I can comprehend the lessons. My only problem is I write too slow because of my condition,” he said.
Since he joined Dates, the 25-year-old Gonzaga had discovered he is not only capable of playing chess, but he can also run despite his condition.
During the recently concluded PNG, Gonzaga bagged four medals – two silver medals for 100-meter, one bronze for 4x100 m relay, and gold for 400m dash.
It was the same with a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver, Ernesto Surban, who has polio or an infatile paralysis. Dates became his second family as it was the one that gave him light when he was so down because of his disability.
He was able to practice a sport that can contribute to his physical health. Joining the team also means getting away from illegal vices, said Surban.
Surban has been suffering from polio since he was a second grader. He never thought that despite his disability, he could still play sports.
Surban won one gold and one silver in the badminton event during the PNG.
Surban and Gonzaga are among the five members of Dates who will represent the Philippines during the Asean Para Games, which will be joined by 11 Southeast Asian countries.
Also with them are Juvel Montera, who won one gold and one bronze in badminton; the swimmer Leslie Ones, who won one gold; and Cheryl Angot, who got three silver medals in chess.
Dino said their preparation for the biennial meet is going well since their team members are very willing and very disciplined in undertaking their training.
He said the only challenge they are facing right now is their funding since the members are the ones who have been financing themselves in buying the necessary equipment.
Llesol also hoped that their team will get enough support from the government as they are putting in their effort to represent Cebu well in the competition. (JJL)