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Ernie Gawilan's gold to boost PH para athletes in Hangzhou

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Filipino para swimmer Ernie Gawilan competes in the final of the men" s="" IM="" at="" the="" Hangzhou="" Olympic="" Center="" Aquatic="" Arena="" in="" on="" October="" PSC-POC="" media="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/10/24/20231024-ernie-gawilan-psc-poc-media-pool.jpg"/><figcaption>Filipino para swimmer Ernie Gawilan competes in the final of the men&#x27;s 200m IM -SM7 at the Hangzhou Olympic Center Aquatic Arena in Hangzhou, China, on October 23, 2023. PSC-POC Media Pool.</figcaption></figure></div>Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo believes that Ernie Gawilan&#x27;s golden breakthrough in the 4th Asian Para Games last Tuesday will get the ball rolling for Team Philippines in Hangzhou.&quot;I knew that Ernie was going to win the first gold for us and, normally, this starts the ball rolling and the other athletes get inspired to do the same thing,&quot; said Barredo, who was on hand when Gawilan retained the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 event at the Hangzhou Olympic Center Aquatic Arena. &quot;That&#x27;s the beauty and importance of the first gold. And with a few days more to go in the Asian Para Games, I am confident we may win more as Gawilan’s triumph boosts everyone to follow his lead,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/10/23/23/gawilan-bejino-claim-phs-first-medals-in-asian-para-games">Gawilan, Bejino claim PH&#x27;s first medals in Asian Para Games</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/10/24/23/gawilan-delivers-phs-first-gold-of-asian-para-games">Gawilan delivers PH&#x27;s first gold of Asian Para Games</a></li></ul>Gawilan was dominant in the final of the men&#x27;s 400m freestyle-S7, clocking 4:58.29 to finish comfortably ahead of Singapore&#x27;s Toh Wei Soong (5:12.16) and China&#x27;s Huang Xianquan (5:16.63).Barredo is banking on Filipino athletes in para chess and para athletics to follow Gawilan&#x27;s lead, especially after wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan copped the silver in the men’s 100-meter T52 finals last Tuesday and was one of the favorites in the men’s 400-meter event on Friday. Gawilan can also win another gold in the men&#x27;s 100-m backstroke on Thursday.Barredo is still optimistic that the Philippine para athletes can match or surpass their haul of 10 gold medals, eight silvers, and 11 bronzes in the 2018 edition of the Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

PPC president Mike Barredo believes that Ernie Gawilan's golden breakthrough in the 4th Asian Para Games last Tuesday will get the ball rolling for Team Philippines.