PARIS — Para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin bid his stint in the 17th Paralympic Games adieu after falling short in the round of 16 of the men’s -80kg K44 category.
The Filipino bet failed to counter the last minute adjustments of World Cup champion Abulfaz Aburzarli, who took the victory in a dramatic come-from-behind fashion, 12-9.
“Sayang. I knew I had a chance. He made good adjustments in the last two minutes and made it difficult for my kicks to connect” Ganapin said.
He led 9-6 with barely two minutes left before Aburzarli’s coach asked for a timeout. It effectively broke Ganapin’s momentum, permitting Aburzarli to seize the moment.
“I’m just happy to be able to compete although I fell short of advancing,” he said.
Ganapin, earlier, defeated Hadi Hassanzada of the Refugee Paralympic Team, 22-13, in the round of 32 of the competition held at the iconic Grand Palais here.
Trailing by a point after the first round, Ganapin finally gained the upperhand with a turning side, giving him a two-point advantage early in the second round.
The 26-year-old para taekwondo ace from Marikina City poured on the heat, widening the gap further with three consecutive body kicks, 18-10, before completely moving out of harm’s way.
It was supposed to be Ganapin’s second Paralympic Games. He was struck by Covid-19 back in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 and wasn’t able to compete.