By Myris Lee
While Team Philippines is currently fighting in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games staged in Hanoi,Vietnam, the national wheelchair basketball Para team is in Thailand to don the Philippine tricolors at the 2022 Asia-Oceania Championship.
The 2022 championship is the qualifying competition of the team for 2022 World Para Games and Asian Para Games in October this year, which will be participated by 11 countries including Iran, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iraq.
“Hopefully sana makasali, ito ‘yung last and the only qualifying event kaya inaprubahan namin ito sa board kasi ito lang ‘yung chance na makapaglaro sila sa Asian Para Games,” Philippine Sports Commision Commissioner Arnold Agustin said.
Agustin said the country will send 12 men’s wheelchair basketball athletes and three coaches, two of whom are new members recruited from the players of the last ASEAN Youth Para Games.
The country failed to send a women’s team due to lack of players.
The Philippines needs at least three wins in the event to qualify. The event will be divided into two divisions and the top two for each division will have a crossover match, while those who will be ranked below will have a wild card.
Agustin expressed confidence in the country’s team even if the opponents are taller, noting that the former has already defeated some of them in previous matches, including Team Iran.
The wheelchair basketball Asia-Oceania competition is set to start on May 21, 2022 in Thailand. – ag
