Philippines, it’s time to get behind our Paralympians as they carry the flag in Paris.
After the Philippines’ historic performance in the 2024 Olympics, we’re not bidding Paris goodbye just yet. With the quadrennial Summer Games now done and dusted, we now turn our attention to Paris’ next big event: the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
The Paralympics is an international multisport competition for elite athletes with physical challenges or impairments. Their goal is to make sports more inclusive by creating a platform for differently-abled individuals to showcase their athletic abilities. This year, the Games will take place from August 28 to September 8 in the City of Light.
The Philippines has been competing in the Paralympics ever since 1988 and has won a total of two bronze medals from the 2000 and 2016 editions.
This year, the Filipino para-athletes heading to Paris will be competing to win even more medals to add to the Philippines’ Paralympic history. Here’s what to know about the country’s proud representatives.
The Philippines’ 2024 Paralympians
The Philippines will have a total of six para-athletes competing across four sports in the 2024 Paralympics. This is two more than the delegation in 2020, which is hopefully a marker of growth among para-athletes in the country.
First up, we have the Paralympic swimmers.
Ernie Gawilan is one of the Philippines’ most well-known and most decorated para-athletes. In 2018, he became the first Filipino to win a gold medal in the Asian Para Games, and he has also won multiple gold medals in the ASEAN Para Games. With many medals in his career, he will be hoping to add a Paralympic medal after this year.
Fellow swimmer Angel Otom will also be hoping to make a splash for the Philippines in this year’s Paralympics. After winning four gold medals in the recent 2023 ASEAN Para Games, she will be competing in her first Paralympics with a good amount of confidence. Will her win streak continue?
The Philippines will also have two athletes competing in athletics events.
Cendy Asusno will finally be making her Paralympics debut. Having won multiple gold medals already from the ASEAN Para Games, this year, she will be eyeing a gold medal for the javelin throw event.
Jarrold Mangliwan will be competing in one of the most popular para-events, wheelchair racing. At 44 years old, this year marks his third qualification for the Paralympics — but it may also be his last. With this, he will surely be hoping to finish his run on a high.
The final two Paralympic athletes representing the Philippines will be competing in two different sports.
Representing the flag in the taekwondo event, Allain Ganapin has been ready for this moment for a long time. Though he qualified for the last Paralympics in Tokyo, he was unable to compete as he unfortunately suffered from COVID-19 at the time of the competition. This year, the 25-year-old will be finally get to show off what he’s got.
Finally, the Agustina Bantiloc will be representing the Philippines in archery. This marks Agustina’s official Paralympics debut — and she also happens to be the country’s oldest representative this year, at 55 years old. This is a true marker of her commitment as an athlete, as she proves that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.
Over the last several months (maybe even years), these athletes have been training, working, and dreaming of this moment. Now, their hard work will finally pay off, as they head for one of the biggest competitions of their athletic careers, and as they compete, they will also be pushing Philippine sports forward.
Banner image from Philippine Sports Commission on Facebook.