TWO  Calabarzon teams clashed for the gold medal in the wheelchair  basketball tournament of the first PSC-Philspada National Games that officially closed at the Marikina Sports Park in Marikina City last Monday.

Calabarzon-Tahanang Walang Hagdan  relied on an 11-0 run bridging the  second and third periods to pull  away for good and score an 81-49  victory over Calabarzon-Disabled Athletes Club of Rizal in the final game.

Rene Macabenguil, who was later  named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, led Tahanang Walang Hagdan  with 19 points, all of which were scored in the first three quarters. He was pulled out of the game early in the fourth period.

Cesar  Morgia added 18 markers  for TWH.

The Disabled Athletes Club of Rizal was led by Philspada wheelchair basketball team mainstay Juanito Mingarine who finished with 26 points, including a rare three-point shot late in the third quarter as he tried in vain to rally his team.

Mingarine, however, did not get enough support from his teammates  as only he and Jeff Legacion scored for the Disabled Athletes Club of  Rizal in the fourth period. Legacion finished with nine points in the game.

Joining Macabenguil and Mingarine in the Mythical Five Selection were Harold Ilagan of the Quezon City Stallions, Freddie Magdayo of Cagayan de Oro and Alex Teves of the National Vocational and Rehabilitation Center (NVRC).

The QC Stallions upended NVRC, 44-35, for the bronze medal.

Present during the awarding and closing ceremonies of the games organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled-National Paralympics Committee of the Philippines (Philspada-NPC Phils) were Marikina City Mayor Del De Guzman, PSC Commissioner Akiko Tomson-Guevara, Philspada-NPC Phils  Chairman Mike Barredo, Philspada-NPC Phils Sec-Gen Carlos Weber Jr. and senior territory manager/LGU coordinator of Manila Water Company Anthony Zafra.

Meanwhile, Ernie Gawilan of Davao City was hailed as the meet’s most bemedaled athlete  with six golds in swimming.

Gawilan, born with both feet missing, competed in the S8 classification.