All 6 athletes bound for the 2020 Paralympics opening on August 24 in Tokyo are in the final phase of their technical and tactical training, aiming to represent the country with pride in the global sportsfest, according to Philippines chef de mission Francis Diaz.

“The 6 athletes are in the last stage of their technical and training in separate training bubbles,” Diaz, who is also the dean of College of Human Kinetics at University of the Philippines, said.

Swimmer Ernie Gawilan and wheelchair racer Jerold Magliwan, both veterans of the 2016 Rio Para Games, will be joined by taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, swimmer Gary Bejino, discus-thrower Jeanette Aceveda and powerlifter Achele Guion in the meet that was also delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diaz said Aceveda and Magliwan have been training for about a month at the new Imus Sports Complex with coaches Joel Deriada and Bernard Buen through the help of Imus Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi, and quartered at a hotel just a few kilometers away from the facility.

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Bejino and Gawilan have been working out at the Philippine Science High School 50-meter indoor pool in Quezon City while living at a hotel near the school campus located just a few blocks away from the Memorial Circle, he said.

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“Guion has been training at a gym near her home in Cainta while Ganapin trained with the regular national team at the Aspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna two weeks ago and is now training and living with our taekwondo head coach Dindo Simpao,” Diaz added.

The national Paralympic squad’s point man said they were thankful for the all-out support of the Philippine Sports Commission for the training and participation of the athletes in the World Para Games in the Japanese capital.

“The PSC under chairman Butch Ramirez has been very supportive of our para athletes since the 2016 Rio Para Games, which is why despite the pandemic they were able to do actual face-to-face training,” Diaz said.

“Hindi nagkulang ang PSC sa pagsubaybay sa technical and tactical training nila. (The PSC has not been remiss in helping in the technical and tactical training of our athletes),” he added. “These include the scouting reports of the potential rivals of our athletes in Tokyo.”

He also credited the PSC’s sports psychology unit in preparing the country’s standard-bearers for the tough battles ahead.

“All our athletes are positive. They have a great mindset coming into the Games. They have overcome the great challenges in having to train under the new normal during the pandemic,” Diaz said.

Given the upbeat outlook of the Philippines bets, he said that it would not be farfetched to think that anyone one of them could match if not surpass the bronze medal won by women’s table tennis player Josephine Medina in the Rio Para Games five years ago.

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Besides Medina, powerlifter Adeline Dumapong Ancheta won the country’s first bronze medal at Sydney 2000.

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“Based on our past performance in Rio, we believe that any of these six athletes can match or surpass the bronze medal won by Josephine Medina. All of them are committed to do their best to win a medal,” Diaz said, “although they are also aware how tough the competition will be in Tokyo.

“Chairman Ramirez and I see eye-to-eye in declaring that they are already champions for having qualified for the World Para Games. If they should fail to reach the podium, they can be proud of their performance and hold their heads high.”

The Philippine Paralympic delegation will be composed of 21 people, including 6 coaches and 9 support staff, among them team physician and COVID-19 liaison officer, Dr. Janice Espina de Vera, of the PSC’s Philippine Center for Sports Medicine, Diaz said.

He said the entire contingent has already downloaded the Japanese monitoring and tracing app that was used for the Tokyo Olympics since last week and that they were scheduled to move to Conrad Hotel in Pasay City late next before leaving for Tokyo starting August 22.

“The last swabbing or tests will be conducted at the hotel before the team leaves for Tokyo,” the chef de mission said.

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