NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — A pair of polio victims struck gold but the Philippines remained in fifth place Tuesday in the 4th Asean Para Games at His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary Stadium here.

Josephine Medina, 37, downed countryman Minnie de Ramos, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4, in the table tennis finals on the Surananaree University of Technology campus to match her double-gold effort in the 2005 Manila meet.

Joel Balatucal then ruled the discus throw with a Para Games record heave of 21.51 meters. Compatriot Jerico Openia held the old record of 20.33 set in Manila in 2005.

“I’m so happy to win,” the 27-year-old Balatucal, a computer repairman, said in Filipino.

As of press time, the Filipinos were in fifth spot with five gold, nine silver and four bronze medals.

The hosts, eyeing a third straight overall crown, are unreachable at 67-29-29, ahead of the Malaysians and the Vietnamese.

The Filipinos missed two gold medals when Roderic Canta and Jesus Pacaldo settled for silver medals in the men’s shot put F57 and 400m T20, respectively.

Pacaldo topped the first of the two heats but faltered in the finals against eventual winner Mohd Izwan Bin Foniran of Malaysia, who clocked 53.14.

Maritess Bruce captured a shot put silver medal in the F55 class after a 4.97m, yielding to Malaysian Lew King Kiew, who had a 5.12m.

In wheelchair basketball, RP bounced back from a 53-62 loss to Malaysia with a 90-18 drubbing of Singapore to keep its gold medal hopes alive.