PSC chair Ramirez hopes PH Paralympians will be motivated by COVID-19 positive para athlete

Philippine Sports Commission William "Butch" Ramirez is hoping that the Philippine delegation to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics will dedicate their performance for the para athlete who was not able to join them after testing positive for COVID-19.

This, after the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) on Sunday said some members of its delegation, including an athlete and some officials, were left in the Philippines and are currently in isolation.

"I’m sure that the five athletes will consider what happened to their colleague as a strong motivation factor to come home with a medal," Ramirez said in a 'Laging Handa' briefing aired on Monday.

Ramirez is also optimistic that the para athletes will do their best once they compete in the Paralympics.

"Before they left, I told them not to worry about what will happen there since not everyone reaches the Paralympics," he said, adding that despite other countries' more advanced sports technologies, "The Filipino has the heart and mind to compete."

A total of six para athletes, composed of Jerrold Mangliwan, Ernie Gawilan, Jeanette Aceveda, Gary Bejino, Allain Ganapin, and Achelle Guion, qualified for the Paralympics which will start on Tuesday.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News