JAVELIN thrower Andrei Kuizon gifted Team Philippines its 28th gold medal on Thursday to allow the country to achieve its goal in the 12th ASEAN Para Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Kuizon, a 22-year-old from Pampanga who was plucked from the wheelchair basketball team, won the gold after organizers decided to separate the winners of his F54 class from F34.
Team Philippines matched the 28 gold medals won last in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Already a winner in shot put, Kuizon was initially awarded the silver Wednesday with a 19.03-meter heave with Vietnamese Vivan Tung seizing gold with 21.33.
Until fate intervened to hand the wonder thrower from Las Piñas, a protégée of former national team member Nixon Mas, his second gold.
Athletics assistant coach Bernard Bren, speaking in behalf of head coach Joel Deriada, said the organizers heeded their request by showing proof that Kuizon deserves to win gold in F54.
Kuizon’s triumph capped a spectacular performance by the 23-strong athletics squad as it finished with a 10-gold, 10-silver and 11-bronze harvest that surpassed its 6-4-14 effort in Surakarta.
It also put the whole Philippine team in a position to eclipse its 28-30-46 performance in Surakarta as it currently has a 28-31-39.
It will now boil down to the entries in chess, badminton and table tennis which were played late Thursday.
