THE holding of the recent National Para Games was timely and led to the emergence of strong potential for the national para training pool who can be developed to excel in international play, according to Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo.
“We really needed the return of the National Para Games because the last one that we had was in 2019,” noted Barredo of the meet that was last staged in Malolos, Bulacan five years ago.
“We had to go back to the basics and I am grateful to the Philippine Sports Commission for helping us revive the meet. We need a lot of catching up to do with our regional neighbors,” he added.
“When you hold a national para competition like this, the more people are aware that we do have a sector for sports for physically and intellectually challenged athletes that they can join and participate in,” the blind PPC chief noted.
“We need to grow the numbers of our para athletes and, hopefully, with the help of the Department of Interior and Local Government, we can go down to the barangay or grassroots level to promote para sports,” Barredo explained.
He mentioned the role of local government units, citing the example of Maramag, Bukidnon Mayor Atty. Jose Doromal, who spent for the tow’s contingent and neighboring areas.
Doromal’s support led to the discovery of midget and Maramag native Rocky Ladrono, who won a gold in the discus throw and javelin throw in the F40 men’s event of track and field.
Barred said the Asian Youth Para Games will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the last quarter of 2025 while the Thailand Asean Para Games and Nagoya Asian Para Games will be held one after the other in 2026.
Barredo said that he was looking at China as the model in developing para athletes, disclosing that similar to what the Asian sports powerhouse has done in scouting able-bodied athletes at a young age “the Chinese are doing the same thing with their para athletes, except for some classifications.”
Hoping to sustain awareness and the momentum of para sports in the wake of the country’s relative success in the last Paris Paralympic Games, he said the country’s government leaders and lawmakers need to be more involved in boosting the nationwide grassroots program for para sports.