All eyes will be on the recent ASEAN Para-Games gold medalists as they try to prove their dominance in the first  PSC-Philspada National Games which opens today at the Marikina Sports Park.

Nineteen Filipino athletes who won in  the  6th ASEAN  meet held in Jakarta last month are expected to figure prominently in the three-day event that will feature around 500 bets from all over the country.

They are Prudencia Panaligan, Roger Tapia and Joel Balatucan in athletics; Sander Severino, Henry Roger Lopez and Alexis Elinon in chess; Adeline Ancheta and Achelle Guion  in powerlifting;  Ernie Gawilan, Arnel Aba, Ma. Josephine Bea Riza Roble and Daniel Damaso Jr. in swimming; Josephine Medina, Minnie Cadag and Pablo Catalan in table tennis; and  Kim Ian Chi, Ernesto Gatchalian Jr., Rufo Tablang and Gina Español in tenpin bowling.

These elite differently abled athletes may be favored to reign supreme in their respective sports disciplines but they are expected to get tough resistance from their counterparts   from the provinces.

More than 500 athletes will take part in the first ever national para-games jointly organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (Philspada) and Standard Insurance Company.

Among the sports to be disputed  are athletics, swimming, table tennis, powerlifting, badminton, tenpin bowling, chess and the crowd favorites goalball and wheelchair basketball.

Wheelchair tennis, cycling and boccia, meanwhile, will be played as demo sports.

All games will take place  at the Marikina Sports Park except for tenpin bowling which will be held at the nearby Q-Plaza Bowling Lanes.

PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia, Marikina City Mayor Del De Guzman and Philspada National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines president Mike Barredo have been invited as guest speakers  in the simple opening rites  starting at 8 a.m..