WITH the Philippines coming off its most successful Olympic appearance yet, pressure is on the para-athletes to keep the momentum going in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Six athletes in four sports, namely Agustina Batiloc (archery), Jerrold Mangliwan and Cendy Asusano (athletics), Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom (swimming), and Allain Ganapin (taekwondo) are making the voyage to the picturesque French capital in hopes of bringing the glory to the country once more.
It’s a lean cast, but one that is brimming with hope especially after seeing how their able-bodied counterparts performed in Paris.
That’s a good mindset to have all the more with the Philippines still in search of its first Paralympic gold.
The country has only secured two bronze medals in the past after only sending delegations in seven past editions dating back to 1988 in Seoul.
Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong was the first in Sydney 2000, making the podium in the women’s -86 kg event.
In 2016, paddler Josephine Medina also achieved the feat in Rio de Janeiro, winning bronze in the table tennis women’s single class 8 event.
The fight still continues, but one can argue that the Philippines have come a long way.
Four athletes in Leoncio Ochoa (swimming), Daniel Boldo, Mauro Par, and Jolly Villota (athletics) made up the first Philippine Paralympic team in Seoul before the country skipped both Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.
Dumapong was a staple for the Philippine team in the next three editions, with javelin thrower Andres Lubin joining her at Sydney 2000, fellow powerlifter Agustin Kitan at Athens 2004, and the two-man sailing team of Pedro Sollique and Cherry Pinpin at Beijing 2008.
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London 2012 saw the country’s biggest team, with nine para athletes competing in four sports.
Ancheta was joined by Kitan and the debuting Achelle Guion in powerlifting, while also part of the unit were athletics’ Roger Tapia, Isidro Vildosola, Andy Avellana, and Marites Burce; swimmer Bea Roble; and Medina, who finished fourth in her Paralympic debut and losing only to Sweden’s Josefin Abrahamsson in the bronze medal match.
Medina redeemed herself four years later as she was with Kitan, Dumapong-Ancheta, and Paralympic debutantes Mangliwan and Gawilan at Rio 2016.
In Tokyo 2020, it was taekwondo jin Ganapin and swimmer Gary Bejino’s turn to debut as they, together with Mangliwan and Gawilan, made up the lean four-man crew.
Here’s to hoping for good returns for our Paris Paralympic team.
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