The coronavirus made its presence felt as the Philippine Paralympians debuted in the recent Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, ending in an upsetting, medal-less campaign.
Three out of the six who qualified tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the early stage of the competition, leaving just three left to compete for the Philippines. Para powerlifter Achelle Guion, Para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, and Para discus thrower Jeanette Acevada were those whose Paralympic debut got cut short or postponed due to coronavirus.
The remaining delegates – Para wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan and Para swimmers Gary Benjino and Ernie Gawilan – still had outstanding performances, nonetheless, throughout the Paralympics.
Mangliwan, a 41-year-old Paralympian wheelchair racer, qualified for multiple events in the men’s category. Starting off with the 400m, the racer was supposed to set a new national record but got disqualified for crossing lanes. Not letting the disqualification get the best of him, the Paralympian overcame it and performed his best in the succeeding events. However, he failed to snatch a podium finish for any of his events.
Two-time Paralympic swimmer Gawilan also reached the finals of the 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle, his two events. With a qualifying time of 4 minutes and 58.58 seconds, the 30-year-old became the first-ever Filipino Para swimmer to reach the Paralympic finals.
Para swimmer Benjino, on the other hand, fell short of qualifying for the finals and failed to beat his personal records. When asked about his performance, the 25-year-old mentioned that daily preparation was important, and his technique and mindset needed to be improved.
The coronavirus, however, did not only affect the participation of the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics but also their preparation.
The PhilSports Arena, formerly used as a training facility for Para-athletes, recently got converted into a quarantine facility to accommodate and keep up with the rising number of COVID-19 patients.
Instead of properly preparing and training for their fast-approaching tournament, they had to endure the effects of COVID-19 and work with what they had. Their journey towards success, preparation, and overall performance was affected by the hard-hitting pandemic.
Nevertheless, these athletes are worthy of praise and recognition; their hard work and perseverance should be applauded and not be dismissed. They are now working towards a flawless and improved performance at the ASEAN and Asian Para Games.
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