PARIS. – She may not be a top medal contender yet but wheelchair thrower Cendy Asusano has sent a warning to her top world rivals in the women’s javelin throw F54 event that she is steadily and surely getting there.
Asusano sent notice that she would be a contender in the foreseeable future after finishing fourth with a personal best throw of 15.05 meters in the 17th Paralympic Games athletic competitions at the La Stade de France here Saturday.
She duplicated her feat behind the top three finishers — Uzbek Nurkhon Kurbanova, who bagged the gold with a world mark heave of 21.12 meters, silver medalist and dethroned Nigerian champion Flora Ugwunwa (19.26) and Iranian bronze medalist Elham Salehi (16.24) — in the world para athletic championships in Kobe, Japan last May.
The vast difference, however, was that her latest attempt was a whopping 42 centimeters better — the equivalent of 16.534 inches — than her previous best of 14.63 meters, all on her first attempts.
“Parang nag-gold na rin ako sa batong ‘yun,” the Donsol, Sorsogon native, who now calls Pasig City home and is supported by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, noted of her phenomenal improvement in the stint supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
“Sabi kasi ni coach Bernand Buen na ibuga ko na lahat sa una pa lang kaya ganun nga ang ginawa ko,” added the chubby and comely athlete, who was no longer cowed by the elite opposition after going against them in the Kobe meet.
“Maganda talaga ang naging bato ni Cendy. May ibubuga pa ‘yan. I believe she can hit 16 meters with further training and exposure,” said Buen of his prized athlete’s big room for improvement.
They said the athlete’s next foreign stint could be in a meet set in Bangkok, Thailand in December while also preparing for the Philippine National Para Games tentatively set in November.
