ALLAIN Ganapin hopes the bubble training will bear fruit come the Tokyo Paralympic Games, whose taekwondo competition will be held from September 2 to 4.
Ganapin said he was part of several national team members who took part in a training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
The 23-year-old Ganapin under the tutelage of coach Dindo Simpao was also training alongside Kurt Barbosa, who was then preparing for his Olympic campaign in the "Calambubble."
“Nung preparing si Kurt sa Olympics, magkasama kami sa Inspire,” said Ganapin during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “Nung pumunta na po siya sa Tokyo, nag-stay po muna ako sa bahay ni coach Dindo, dito kami nag-ensayo. More on sparring po kami ngayon.”
The Tokyo Paralympics taekwondo competition is a K43 [athletes with bilateral amputation below the elbow, or equivalent loss of function in both upper limbs] and K44 [athletes with unilateral arm amputation (or equivalent loss of function), or loss of toes which impact the ability to lift the heel properly, event.
Rated No. 41 in the world in the K44 category, Ganapin will compete in the men’s 75-kilogram class after getting a bipartite commission invitation. Eleven other jins led by K44 world number one Juan Diego Garcia Lopez of Mexico and K43 counterpart Nurlan Dombayev of Kazakhstan will also be vying for medals.
Ganapin, one of the six Philippine athletes bound for Tokyo, is aiming high in his first Paralympic appearance.
“Expectations ko sa Tokyo, makapag-perform lang ng maayos and ang pinaghahandaan namin ‘yung makapag-perform po sa finals,” Ganapin said.
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