By Kristel Satumbaga
The International Paralympic Committee has allocated one spot for the Philippine swimming team to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, national para swimming coach Tony Ong bared on Thursday.
Ernie Gawilan of the Phillippines (photo from PSC-POC media)
In a radio interview, Ong said they have received the notification last week and already forwarded it to the Philippine Paralympic Committee to facilitate the needed acknowledgments for the use of the said allocation.
With this, top Filipino para swimmer Ernie Gawilan earned the allocated berth to become the country’s representative to the Paralympics after getting the most number of Olympic qualifying points among his teammates.
He gained points at the 2018 Asian Para Games and the 2019 World Para Championships in London.
However, Gawilan needs to compete in one more qualifier to re-classify his disability.
“We are looking at competitions in Europe,” said Ong.
Ong also said they are planning to send Gary Bejino and the rest of the squad to the next qualifier with hopes of gaining more qualifiers to the Para Games.
It will not be the first time that Gawilan will be competing in the Paralympics. At the 2016 edition in Rio, the 28-year-old Davao City bet competed in the 400-meter freestyle, 100m free and 100m backstroke.
He boasted of a gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley and a silver in the 50m freestyle at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. He also won three bronze medals in the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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