PNPG aims to champion para sports development and inclusivity

The Philippine National Para Games will formally return at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex from November 11 to 14. Over 900 aspiring para athletes from 72 cities and provinces, as well as from five stand-alone organizations will take centerstage to compete for the top spot.

The Games were last held in Malolos, Bulacan, in 2019, before being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) and PHILSPADA president Michael Barredo on Tuesday’s forum.

The eighth stage, however, will soon unfold with the assistance of the Philippine Sports Commission.

“This is also the biggest opportunity for us to select players for the national Para team,” PPC secretary-general Goody Custodio told the media during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Conference Hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Archery, athletics, badminton, boccia (a precision ball sport), chess, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, and wheelchair basketball are among the nine disciplines that will be available at the Games.

Custodio said the Games will kick off with a classification seminar on November 7 followed by the classification proper for Para athletes from November 8 to 10. There would also be three foreign classifiers, two from Singapore and one from Indonesia to help with the classifications. 

“It is an important factor for the Para Games where they will level the playing field of the three major disability groups,” Barredo stated.

The three major disability groups are namely physically impaired, blind and visually impaired, and intellectually impaired.

“Other than that, of course, is instilling the values and importance of sports, [the] overall well-being of everyone, considering the values of disability, etc.,” he added.

With the objective to champion para sports development and inclusion, midgets or little people will be participating in the Para Games for the very first time.

“Yes, they are included in the physical impairment. This will be their first time joining,” remarked Joel Deriada, head coach of Philippine Para Athletics Team. “This was one of the things that we lack. Since the pandemic, we, coaches, are really searching all over the Philippines.”

Deriada continued that they found their association in Luzon, Pampanga, and Caloocan, and they have invited them. They explained to them and showed them that there is an existing sports competition for all.

Powerlifting, badminton and throwing events such as shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw, are just some of the para sports events that the midgets can participate in. 

“And this is a chance for our Para athletes to go out of their comfort zones and have fun competing. To some, it’s life changing,” added Deriada.

"The National Para Games are pretty much like the Philippine National Games where we will use this as a venue to, of course, create public awareness across the country, to invite our sporting community, the Para Sports Movement or Paralympic Movement to join us for these games," Barredo concluded.