WHILE all eyes are on the rapldly growing list of Filipino athletes who’ll be gracing the Olympic stage this year, our para-athletes are also busy doing the work for Tokyo Paralympics.
As taekwondo got included in the list of medal sports for the first time, Pinoy jin Allain Ganapin also made history as the first Filipino taekwondo para-athlete to secure a spot in the international tourney.
The Philippine Sports Commission confirmed his feat in a social media post.
“Congratulations Allain Ganapin for qualifying to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” the PSC announced.
Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo also verified the news.
The Marikina native, who, at birth, went through a lifesaving operation that amputated his right arm up to the elbow, will enter the men’s K44 -75kg division. He scored a bronze mendal in the Asian Taekwondo Paralympic Qualification Tournament in Amman, Jordan two weeks ago.
The 23 year old was granted a bi-partite invitation for the Paralympics, which is scheduled for August 24 to September 5, 2021.
Fellow jin Kurt Barbosa also earlier qualified for the Olympics.
Ganapin joins swimmer Asian Para Games gold medalist in the list of Filipino para-athletes joining the Paralympics.
Gawilan met his qualification points in 2018 when he won the 400-meter freestyle, 100m backstroke, and 200m individual medley in the continental tiff.
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