KUALA LUMPUR—Arthus Bucay, a Paralympics veteran and an Asian Games medal winner, handed Team Philippines its first medal by racing to a silver in the men’s kilometer C5 track event of cycling in yesterday’s opening of the ninth ASEAN Para Games at the Velodrome Nasional Malaysia in Nilai Negeri Sembilan here.
The 37-year-old Bucay, who raced in the 2012 London Paralympics and 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games where he pocketed a bronze, timed in an hour, 15 minutes and 4.32 seconds to snare the silver in the event where he wasn’t expected to deliver.
“Ilang beses lang kaming naka-train sa event na ito dahil dinagdag lang ito nu’ng huli. Buti na lang naka medalya pa,” said PH cycling coach Norberto Oconer, himself a former cycling Olympian.
Malaysian Zuhaire Bin Amad Tarimzi booked the gold in 1:09.690, while Indonesian Sufyan Saori claimed the bronze in 1:19.170.
Bucay, who had an accident in a cycling race in 2013 that led to an operation that left him with a disproportioned pair of legs, go for the gold in the 4000m individual pursuit at 4:30 p.m. today.
In table tennis at the Hall 8 of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Billy Smith Cartera and Darwin Salvacion routed Cambodia’s Voy Yasal and Ch Parnsamoth, 3-0, in the men’s event TT4 of table tennis that practically assured them of at least a bronze.
After seizing the first two singles’ matches, Cartera and Salvacion then sealed the match with a quick, merciless 11-8, 11-1, 11-6 win over Yasal and Parnsamoth in the doubles.
“This win assures us of a bronze because there are only four entries in this division,” said table tennis mentor Louise Mark Eballa.