SURAKARTA, Indonesia–Flag-bearer Achelle “Jinky” Guion got a timely break when her event in the women’s powerlifting competition was reset to two days after the formal opening of the 11th ASEAN Para Games on Saturday at the Manahan Stadium.
“I’m relieved upon hearing the news, at least I’ll have a day before the competition,” said Guion after learning of the welcome news last Wednesday that the start of the powerlifting tournament at the Paragon Hotel was moved to August 1.
In the original schedule, the 51-year-old pride of Sipalay, Negros Occidental, was supposed to compete in the women’s 45-kilogram division on Sunday or the morning after the opening ceremony at the 20,000-seat arena located in the heart of the Central Java provincial capital.
“I’ll have someone help me carry the flag so I won’t tire that much,” she added.
A back-to-back silver medalist in the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games, Guion, however, declined what medal color she would deliver for the country because looming as her fierce rival in is hometown bet Ni Nengah Widiasih.
Competing in the women’s 41-kg. class, Widiasih bagged a silver in last year’s Tokyo Paralympic Games.
“I can’t say gold because the Indonesian (Widiasih) is very strong. She hops from one weight category to another, and one more thing, they’re the hosts and I really don’t know what class she’ll be competing in here,” bared Guion, whose personal best lift is 73 kilos.
This was set when the athlete placed eighth overall in the women’s 45-kg category of the world para powerlifting championships last November in Tbilisi, Georgia.
National coach Rico Canlas said there are five women and three men in the national para powerlifting squad, among them, reigning women’s +86 kgs queen Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta, in the stint bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Also in the group are veteran Marydol Pamatian, who will vie in the women’s 41-kg class, Denesia Apote Esnara (50 kgs), Agustin Kitan and Romeo Tayawa, who will both compete in the men’s 54 kgs category, and Gregorio Damian Payat Jr., who sees action in the men’s 59 kgs division.
“Everyone on our team wants to win but I don’t want to make any medal forecast so as not to pressure our athletes,” said Canlas, who was hoping to surpass the one gold and one bronze medal won in Malaysia in 2017.