The commitment has transformed into a tradition as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) gifts Paris 2024 Olympics double gold medalist gymnast Carlos Yulo, not one but two houses and lots while bronze medalist boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas will soon walk into their brand new bungalows in Tagaytay City.

Get ready for a day of friendly competition, camaraderie, and giving back to the community at the NILAD Business Club’s 2024 Annual Golf Tournament slated on October 24 at the prestigious Villamor Air Base Golf Club.

: Allain Keanu Ganapin (right) , together with his coach Gershon Bautista

PARIS – Para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin came so close to upsetting fancied Azerbaijani Abulfaz Abuzarli before dropping a heartbreaking  9-12 decision in the second round of the K44 men’s 80-kilogram division of the 17th Paris Paralympic Games at the Grand Palais here Saturday.

PARIS – Wiser and more mature after earlier disappointments in previous international play, national para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin aims to take it one match at a time that hopefully will finally lead to golden glory in the 17th Paris Paralympic Games here.

“One match at a time lang po sir at talagang pinaghandaan ko po ito,” said the soft-spoken athlete, sidelined by COVID-19 on his debut in Tokyo three years ago.

Then last year at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, the 26-year-old Marikina native was penalized for hitting his opponent in the head in the first round of the men’s 80-kilogram division, resulting in his early disqualification.

Through all these setbacks, Ganapin had not lost his desire to compete for flag and country and qualified for a second straight Paralympic stint after beating Indian Sandeep Singh in the Asian Taekwondo Olympic and Paralympic qualification meet in Taiyang, China last March.

He will be among the 12 entries competing in the men’s 80-kilogram weight class on Saturday at the Grand Palais where the Olympic taekwondo competition was also staged just a few weeks ago.

“We will take it one match at a time but we are prepared to compete in four matches (until the finals) if needed,” noted his coach Gershon Bautista.

Bautista added that should the draw favor his prized ward “then we could reach the finals in just two bouts and battle for the gold.”

The coach is not alone here training Ganapin but with fellow para taekwondo coach August dela Cruz, who was supposed to call the shots for the athlete in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, coming along as a sparring partner in the stint backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Ganapin said that his sad experiences had given him the proper perspective in dealing with the pressures of being the country’s first para taekwondo jin in the sport that is also marking its second appearance as a medal discipline in the quadrennial meet for the best physically-challenged athletes in the world.

“Nananalangin po ako na dito sa hirap at preparasyon na aming ginawa sa second Paralympic Games ko po ay makapagbigay ako ng karangalan sa ating bansa at kababayan. Ito din ang pagkakataon na mabigyan ng pansin ang iba pang para taekwondo jins na katulad ko,” he said.

Undoubtedly, like the rest of the five other Paralympians here, the fans back home will fervently pray for him to end an eight-year medal dry spell for the Philippines since the late table tennis player Josephine Medina won a bronze medal in the 2016 edition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  

PARIS – The last time he competed in his pet event, the men’s 400-meter T52 race at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan looked poised for a podium finish but received disqualification after entering the wrong lane at the critical home stretch.

Team Philippines during the opening parade.

PARIS – Para archer Agustina Bantiloc shot 618 points and landed last among 28 participants in the ranking round of the women’s individual archery event of the 17th Paris Paralympic Games here Thursday afternoon (Thursday night in Manila).