By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin booked a return trip to the Paralympics after earning a berth in the 2024 Asian Qualification Tournament in Tai’an, China on Sunday, March 17.
The 25-year-old Marikina City native needed just one victory to clinch a spot in the Paris Paralympics and he did it by dominating India’s Sandeep Singh Maan, 25-13, in the men’s K44 -80kg event.
Ganapin, whose right arm was amputated up to his elbow due to a congenital disorder, became the third Filipino para athlete to make it to Paris after Angel Otom and Ernie Gawilan secured berths in swimming.
He actually qualified at the 2020 Tokyo edition, but was forced to withdraw his opening round bout after testing positive for Covid.
Ganapin’s qualification came a day after the four Filipino taekwondo jins failed to earn tickets to the Olympics.
Kurt Barbosa, Jessica Canabal and Tachiana Mangin were one win away from an Olympics stint, but lost to their respective rivals. Arven Alcantara, meanwhile, finished in the quarterfinals.
Barbosa and Canabal, however, settled for bronze medals after beating Riad Hamdi of Saudi Arabia, 6-5, 5-3, in the men’s 58kg, and Cambodia’s Julie Mam, 3-1, 3-4, 3-1, in the women’s -57kg, respectively.
