Josephine Medina

Josephine Rebeta Medina^[1] (March 20, 1970^[2] – September 2, 2021) was a Filipino table tennis player. Medina represented the Philippines at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics.

Josephine Medina

Medina in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Josephine Rebeta Medina
Nationality	Filipino
Born	(1970-03-20)March 20, 1970
Died	September 2, 2021(2021-09-02) (aged 51)
Sport
Country	Philippines
Sport	Para table tennis
Medal record Table tennis Representing  Philippines Event 1st 2nd 3rd Paralympic Games - - 1 Asian Para Games - 2 1 ASEAN Para Games 7 1 2 Total 7 3 4 Paralympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles class 8 Asian Para Games 2018 Jakarta Singles class TT 8 2010 Guangzhou Singles class 6–8 2014 Incheon Singles class TT 8 ASEAN Para Games 2008 Nakhon Ratchasima Singles class 8 2008 Nakhon Ratchasima Singles class 6–10 2008 Nakhon Ratchasima Doubles open class 6–10 2008 Nakhon Ratchasima Team class 10 2014 Napyidaw Singles class 9 2015 Singapore Singles class 7–8 2017 Kuala Lumpur Singles class 6-8 2015 Singapore Doubles class 10 2015 Singapore Team class 10 2017 Kuala Lumpur Team class 9–10

Early career

Medina was influenced to take up table tennis as a sport by her father who used to compete for the Philippines internationally. She was afflicted with poliomyelitis which affected the length of her legs. She competed with able-bodied players as a varsity player during her collegiate studies in order to cope with her family's financial problems.^[3]

She managed to qualify for a place at the national table tennis team but was later told she could not compete due to her disabilities.^[4]

International career

Medina (right) playing against a Vietnamese player (left) at the 2017 ASEAN ParaGames.

Medina subsequently competed in tournaments for disabled athletes instead and competed at her first international competition, the 2003 ASEAN Para Games.^[3] At the 2008 ASEAN Para Games, Medina achieved the most number of medals among the competitors for the Philippines winning 5 gold medals. She championed the single class 8 and single class 6-10 for the individual events, won the doubles open class 6-10 with Purificacion Mingarine, and the team class 10 with Minnie de Ramos and Mingarine.^[5]

Medina won a gold medal at the single class 9 event at the 2014 ASEAN Para Games.^[6] In 2015, Medina won gold for the Single Class 7-8 and a bronze in Double Class 10. In 2017, Medina won gold in the Singles Class SF6–8 and a bronze for Team Class TF9-10 with Minnie de Ramos Cadag.^[7]

She qualified for the 2018 World Para Table Tennis Championships by participating in qualifying tournaments using her own money for her expenses. After the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro she won a gold in a tournament in Thailand which was followed by another singles gold medal in a tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. She garnered a silver and bronze in the 2017 Taichung Open in Taiwan securing qualification for the world para championships.^[8]

In March 2018, Medina was reportedly training without a coach for about six months until the Asian Para Games in Indonesia due to lack of time. To compensate for this, she practiced with the men's team of the member colleges of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.^[8]

Paralympics

She competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics but came short of achieving a podium finish. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics she won a bronze medal after defeating Juliane Wolf of Germany.^[4]

Personal life

Medina's father, a former member of the national team, was Josephine's inspiration for taking up table tennis. Her father, who worked in Saudi Arabia last coaching the Royal Saudi Air Force, died in 2004. Medina dedicated her 2016 Summer Paralympic feat to her father.^[3]

Medina held a degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila.^[9]

Medina died on September 2, 2021, at her home at age 51.^[10][11]

References

1. "PH medalists in Asean Para Games to get bonus". Malaya Business Insight. January 7, 2016. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
2. "Josephine Medina". Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
3. "Josephine Medina wins the Philippines' first medal in Rio". Paralympic Movement. International Paralympic Committee. September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
4. "P1M awaits Paralympics bronze medalist Medina". Sun Star Davao. September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
5. Noguera, Emil (January 28, 2008). "ASEAN Para Games medalists to receive cash incentives". The Manila Times. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
6. "7th ASEAN Paralympic Games Medal Tally". Pinoy Headline. January 20, 2014. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
7. "ASEAN Para Games: Josephine Medina caps PH stint with table-tennis gold". ABS-CBN News. September 23, 2017.
8. Navarro, June (March 15, 2018). "No coach for self-funding Paralympics star in world championships". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
9. "2-time Paralympian Medina bags gold in Thailand". DZRB-AM. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
10. Go, Beatrice (September 2, 2021). "2016 Rio Paralympics bronze medalist Josephine Medina dies". Rappler. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
11. Li, Matthew (September 2, 2021). "Paralympics bronze medalist Medina, 51, passes away". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 2, 2021.