Lhey Marie Manginsay captured the table tennis gold medal in the women’s singles Class 10 on Thursday before the closing ceremony of the 8th Philippine National Para Games.
The 21-year-old from Zamboanga Sibugay defeated national team mainstay Minnie Cadag, 3-0, to rule the event held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
“Maganda po ang nilaro ko today. Talagang nagpursige ako na makapunta dito dahil pangarap ko makalaro sa national team,’’ said Manginsay.
She also claimed two silver medals in the women’s team and mixed doubles events after the five-day meet organized by the Philippine Paralympic Committee and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Manginsay teamed up with Marie Nina Carmelotes of Davao in the women’s team where they lost against national team players Marie Eloise Sable and Cadag.
In the mixed doubles, Manginsay joined forces with Rommel Lucencio but dropped the gold-medal match opposite Linard Sultan and Cadag.
“First time ko sumali dito sa PNPG. Hindi ako nanalo sa team event pero nakuha ko naman ang singles. Iyan talaga ang pinunta ko dito,’’ said Manginsay.
A third-year social work student at the Sibugay Technical Institute Inc. (STII), Manginsay is being compared to Paralympian Josephine Medina, who brought home a bronze medal in table tennis during the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Paralympic Games.
“It’s an honor na ma-compare ako sa kanya. Lalo ko pang pagbubutihin para marating ko ang na-achieve nya,’’ said Manginsay, who broke her right elbow after she fell from a hanging bridge in 2019.
After surgery and despite several therapy sessions, Manginsay said she couldn’t move her right arm like she used to.
