Pato looking after para athletes’ welfare

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is looking to establish a dedicated training center for para athletes as the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said he discussed the proposed facility with Asian Paralympic Committee president Majid Rashed, who expressed the organization’s willingness to help develop the project.

The Philippines finished the 5th Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, with two golds, two silvers and three bronze medals.

Veteran swimmer Ernie Gawilan led the Filipino campaign with a gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 and a silver in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7.

“We discussed the 30th anniversary of Philippine para-sports, which will be marked in 2027. I asked if we could work together to develop a para-sports training center in the Philippines with the support of the Asian Paralympic Committee,” Gregorio said.

“Even if we initially identify only three, four or five sports, establishing a dedicated training center would be a big step because we don’t have one yet.”

Gregorio said a specialized facility is long overdue, given the achievements of Filipino para-athletes on the international stage.

At present, para-athletes train at existing sports facilities, including the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the Philsports Complex in Pasig.

“That is one of the main reasons I came here: to support our para-athletes and see how such a training center could be developed. The Asian Paralympic Committee is ready to help us establish it next year,” Gregorio said.

“It’s a very promising project because para-athletes are often overlooked.”