WHILE his able-bodied counterparts failed, one-armed taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin succeeded in clinching a ticket to the Paris Olympics over the weekend in the Asian Paralympic Games Taekwondo Qualification tournament in Tai’an, China.
After missing his Paralympic debut in Tokyo three years ago due to COVID-19, Ganapin punched and kicked his way to the Paris Paralympic Games with an emphatic 25-13 win in the finals over India’s Sandeep Sing Maan, ruling the men’s 80kg division in the Asian qualifying meet.
Ganapin joined national para swimmers Angel Mae Otom and Ernie Gawilan as the third athlete to make it to the Paralympic Games scheduled Aug. 28 to Sept. 11 in the romantic French capital.
The feat was a huge encouragement for the Marikina-born Ganapin, who got disqualified in the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games in a short-lived APG debut last October.
“We are glad for Allain because he missed the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Now he has a chance to prove himself in Paris,” said Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo.
“Hopefully, he (Ganapin) has learned his lessons from his past experiences and use them to fuel his drive to excel in Paris,” Barredo added.
Barredo also expressed the hope that more athletes would qualify for Paris and surpass the four campaigners who were able to make it Tokyo.
Aside from Gawilan, others who saw action in Tokyo were swimmer Gary Bejino and wheelchair thrower Jerrold Mangliwan while visually impaired discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda failed to compete after she tested positive for the virus in Tokyo.
National para track and field coach Joel Deriadas said they are awaiting confirmation from the International Paralympic Committee regarding the status of Mangliwan and wheelchair thrower Cendy Asusano.
Mangliwan set a high entry time of one minute and .0154 seconds in winning the men’s 400-meter T52 race in the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games, according to Deriada.
