JOSEPHINE Medina, the last Filipino athlete to win a medal at the Paralympic Games, has passed away, according to a post by the Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. on its Facebook page. She was 51.
Medina won a bronze medal in table tennis at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, becoming the second medalist of the country in the quadrennial event after powerlifter Adeline Dumapong’s bronze in 2000 in Sydney.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) later confirmed Medina's death in a post on social media.
The Philippine Paralympic Committee also released a statement.
“With great sadness, the Philippine Paralympic Committee announces the passing away of Josephine Medina, a two-time Paralympian and a bronze medalist in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.”
“PPC extends our deepest sympathies to the family and requests the community to join us in prayer for the eternal repose of her soul,” said the PPC.
The cause of death has yet to be revealed.
The sad development came in the middle of the Philippines’ campaign at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and on the third death anniversary of fellow table tennis player and Olympian Ian Lariba.

Medina was struck by polio when she was just eight months old but her condition didn’t prevent her from achieving success in sports.
Aside from her accomplishment in the Paralympics, Medina also won a gold medal in the 2017 Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur and a silver in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
Aside from the Filipino Paralympians, the Philippine table tennis community is also mourning the loss of Medina. In 2018, Lariba, who competed in the 2016 Olympics, passed away due to leukemia at aged 23.
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