Nationality Filipino | Country Philippines | |
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Full name Josephine Rebeta Medina Born 20 March 1970 (age 46) ( 1970-03-20 ) Similar Richard Gonzales (table tennis), Gao Ning, Ian Lariba | ||
Josephine Rebeta Medina (born (1970-03-20)20 March 1970) is a Filipino table tennis player. Medina represented the Philippines at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics.
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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 abled-bodied players as a varsity player during her collegiate studies in order to cope up with her family's financial problems.
She managed to qualify a place at the national tennis team but was later told she could not compete due to her disabilities.
International career
Medina competed in tournaments for disabled athletes instead and competed at her first international competition, the 2003 ASEAN Para Games. 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.
Medina won a gold medal at the single class 9 event at the 2014 ASEAN Para Games.
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.
Personal life
Medina's father a former member of the national team was Josephine's inspiration for taking up table tennis. Her father died in 2004, who worked in Saudi Arabia last coaching the Royal Saudi Air Force. Medina dedicated her 2016 Summer Paralympic feat to her father.