Josephine Medina. File photo courtesy of International Table Tennis Federation

Table tennis player Josephine Medina handed the Philippines its first medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympics early morning on Tuesday, Manila time.

Medina took the bronze medal in the women's singles class 8 division won by China's Mao Jingdian. France's Thu Kamkasimphou took home the silver medal.

Medina's bronze win is the Philippines' first medal since 2000 when powerlifter Adeline Dumapong bagged the bronze, the first medal for the country, in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

In the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Medina missed a podium finish, ranking fourth overall in her division.

Medina, a polio victim, won the gold medal in the ASEAN Para Games in Singapore in 2015.