Para swimmer Ernie Gawilan delivers PH’s first gold in Asian Para Games

Veteran para swimmer Ernie Gawilan produced the Philippines’ first gold medal in the 5th Asian Para Games on Monday, topping the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 podium at the Rainbow Pool of the Nagoya City General Gymnasium.

Gawilan, 35, clocked four minutes and 56.72 seconds to win his third straight gold in the event.

This was also his fifth gold at the Asian Para Games, having won three in Jakarta 2018 and another in Hangzhou 2022. 

The Davao City native had to overcome a fierce challenge from China’s youthful Zhang Yilong and a familiar foe, Singapore’s Toh Wei Soong, who settled for silver and bronze with times of 5:01.36 and 5:24.23, respectively.

His time also secured him a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, according to national para swimming coach Tony Ong.

“Masaya ako kasi di ko akalain kaya ko pa mag sub-five minutes sa 400m. 35 years old na ako ngayon so kung sisipagan lang talaga yung training and focus talaga,” he told POC Media. 

“Lahat inisip ko eh. Ito na yun eh. Siyempre hinabol nang hinabol ko yun eh. Nasa emosyon ko din ba na kinaya ko yung laban,” Gawilan said. 

Gawilan dedicated his latest triumph to his wife Ilonah and daughter Eliana who is turning eight months old this month. 

“Special ito eh. Kasi ano ‘to eh, dine-dedicate ko ito sa baby ko. Tapos kahit nung ilang days palang, iniimagine ko na yung medal lang ipapasuot ko sa baby ko pag-uwi pagnaka-medal ako. So nagka-totoo naman,” he shared. 

The 35-year-old has also bagged multiple gold medals in the ASEAN Para Games, where he broke the 18-year games record last January. 

The veteran para swimmer will still compete in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM7 and the Men’s 100m Backstroke S7 events.  

Gawilan’s feat brightened the spirits of Team Philippines after a rough start in the eight-day competition.

In the morning preliminaries, Edwin Villanueva finished 10th and last in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S8 in 6:22.33, while Muhaimin Ulag placed 12th and last in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM9 in 3:04.30.

Over at the Izu Velodrome, more than a three-hour drive from Nagoya, Patrick Lee and Arthus Bucay finished 12th and 14th in track cycling’s 1,000-meter time trial, clocking 1:14.888 and 1:19.496, respectively.

National cycling coach Norberto October had earlier said they did not expect a medal on the track but vowed to bounce back in the road race, where they stood a better chance of a podium finish, possibly a gold.

In judo at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall, Edmond Montecillo fell to Uzbekistan’s Ibrokhimjon Akbarov by ippon in the men’s J1 -70kg round of 16.

The defeat left Al Jaed Pacheco as the last Filipino judoka standing. He will battle Iran’s Mahdi Borchlou in the men’s J1 -81kg division Tuesday.

The country’s table tennis bets also fell like dominoes, with Lhey Manginsay and Billy Cartera bowing out of singles contention at Sky Hall Toyota.

Manginsay lost to the more experienced Kim Kun-Hea of South Korea, 3-11, 3-11, 2-11, in women’s singles Class 9, while Cartera absorbed a 4-11, 3-11, 3-11 defeat against Thailand’s Norakan Chanphaka in men’s singles Class 4-5.

Johna Pena suffered a 9-11, 6-11, 3-11 loss to South Korea’s Kim Seongok in women’s singles Class 7, while Noriko Batuhan succumbed to China’s Huang Zhirui, 5-11, 11-6, 3-11, 1-11, in women’s singles Class 3.

Still battling for a medal was Wilfred Redulla, who was facing Kazakhstan’s Ali Makhubekov in the men’s singles Class 8 quarterfinals at press time.