Filipino para table tennis players Lhey Marie Manginsay and Jan Wilfred Redulla won silver in mixed doubles Class XD17 at the 5th Asian Para Games on Thursday, ending the Philippines' eight-year medal drought in the sport.

Manginsay and Redulla lost 1-3 to China's Zhao Shuai and Xiong Guiyan in the gold medal match at Sky Hall Toyota on Oct. 22.

The silver was the Philippines' second in the ongoing continental competition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

As of 7 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, the Philippines had collected five medals — two golds, two silvers and one bronze — to rank 16th in the official medal tally.

The Philippine Sports Commission praised the Filipino duo for their resilience after they overcame a 0-2 deficit against India and a 1-2 disadvantage against Japan to reach the gold medal round.

Despite falling short of the top podium spot, their runner-up finish marked a significant breakthrough for Philippine para table tennis at the Asian Para Games.