We are already in the peak of our training program because we’re expecting the Games to be held on 18 January.

ERNIE Gawilan and other differently abled athletes have to wait until March before seeing action in the 10th Asean Para Games.

With the staging of the 10th Asean Para Games being pushed from January to March, the para swimmers need to do a massive adjustment to hit their target of bringing pride and glory to the country.

National para swimming team head coach Tony Ong admitted that the sudden change of schedule would force them to adjust their training program so that they would maintain their peaks until March.

The change of schedule is definitely a major blow to the biggest sports conclave for differently abled athletes in the region.

After the Daily Tribune reported about the looming postponement due to budgetary constraints, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) came up with a statement, saying that the P100-million fund intended for the Asean Para Games was already spent for the staging of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said they proposed to Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) president Michael Barredo to push the opening from January to March to give them ample time to raise money and purchase the sports equipment needed for the hosting of the Games.

The PSC chief added that they want to come up with a successful hosting and holding it in January might lead to an ill-prepared staging of the prestigious biennial meet.

“To be honest, we really want to help, but we no longer have the money. We are in a tight situation right now,” said Ramirez, who led Team Philippines to the overall title in the recent SEA Games.

“That’s why I recommended to move the event to the last month of the first quarter next year.”

Barredo accepted the PSC’s proposal and immediately informed the Asean Para Sports Federation (APSF) to cascade the development to 10 other countries and make the necessary adjustments.

“While we have made every effort to prepare the Games in the past for one and a half years, matters well beyond our control are compelling us to reschedule the event,” said Barredo, who pegged the total expenses for the staging of the event at around P300 to P500 million.

But Ong said this adjustment has massive impact to their preparations.

“Yes, we already saw the letter issued by the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC),” Ong said.

“We are already in the peak of our training program because we’re expecting the Games to be held on 18 January.”

“We have already set ourselves that by the first week of January, all of us are fully prepared and ready to win the gold.”

Ong said the decision to push the Asean Para Games to March is a double-edged sword.

Although they would have enough time to prepare and adjust their schedules, it would be hard for them to maintain their peak forms, especially those who are in endurance sports like para swimming and athletics.

Among those who are tipped to bring honor to the country are Ernie Gawilan, Jerrold Mangliwan, Andy Avellana Josephine Medina and Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta.

Gawilan is a triple gold medalist in the swimming competition of the Asian Para Games in Jakarta last year while Mangliwan is a distinguished wheelchair racer, Avellana is a gold medalist in athletics in the London Paralympics in 2012, Medina is a bronze medalist in the table tennis competition of the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, and Dumapong is a bronze medalist in para powerlifting in the Sydney Paralympics in 2000.

Ong said they will definitely have a hard time breaking the news to those who have been preparing and expecting to compete by the first week of January.

“We have players who are still in their respective schools while some have day jobs. Now, we have to talk to them about the delay,” he said. “We are uncertain on how it will affect our players’ performance.”

Ong, however, maintained that such decision will not burden the host nation alone, but it will also affect the other participating nations.

“Different coaches from Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, are asking me to verify if the news was really true,” he said.

“Together with my coaching staff, we need to talk and retool, knowing that the next event right after the Para Games is the Paralympics. We have to chart another program to make sure that we’ll remain competitive when the Games open in March.”