THE World Paralympic Games opened on Tuesday night in Tokyo with Team Philippines Chef de Mission Francis Diaz, para powerlifter Achele "Jinky" Guion and two coaches unable to fly to the Japanese capital after testing positive for Covid-19.

Philippine Paralympic Committee President Michael Barredo made the sad announcement in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Guion's coach Antonio Taguibao and para athletics coach Joel Deriada also tested positive of the virus.

The Paralympics Playbook, just like in the Summer Olympics played from July 23 to August 8, required all participants to undergo RT-PCR tests twice—72 hours and 48 hours—before taking a flight to Tokyo.

Diaz, Guion and the two coaches tested positive in their second tests, although Barredo said in the statement that they were asymptomatic.

Left to fight for the country's colors in the Games are wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan, swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Garry Bejino, discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda and taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin

"Despite this most unfortunate development, all our para athletes remain in high spirits and committed to give their best possible performance to bring honor and glory for our country," said Barredo, who assumed the role of chef de mission.

Mangliwan and Aceveda, meanwhile, are undaunted by the elite opposition they will be up against in Tokyo.

"If you don't compete, you'll never win at all," said Mangliwan, who was struck by polio at the age of two.

"If you look at their [opponents] record, they're really that strong. But we're as strong as they are," echoed Aceveda of the sentiments of her fellow athlete on Monday inside the Athletes Village.

The tall and stocky Aceveda, who won three golds in the 2013 Asean Para Games in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, was keenly aware of the challenges facing them in their stint fully supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

"The opposition has gone through a lot of competition, so what we have here is a battle of champions," said the 50-year-old mother of three who manages three massage therapy clinics in different malls in Marikina. "But we won't back down."

Mangliwan, who was the Philippine contingent's standard-bearer during the opening ceremony at the Japan National Stadium on Tuesday night, will be the first to see action on Friday in the T52 men's 400-meter race—with the heats scheduled in the morning and the finals in the evening.

His coach Joel Deriada believes that the 2016 Rio Para Games veteran could reach the finals of the first of three events if he plays his cards right.

"Me and coach Joel saw the records of my opponents and I stand a chance of making the finals," Mangliwan said. "My goal is to reach the finals. If I do, I'll even go all out."
The wheelchair racer's other events are the men's 1,500-meter race on Saturday and the 100-meter sprint, beginning with the heats on September 2 and the finals on the succeeding day.

"I aim to be in the finals, and ultimately make the podium," said Aceveda, who suffered a degenerative disease at the age of three that has left her technically blind in both eyes.

Compounding the discus thrower's situation is the fact that under the International Paralympic Committee and World Para rules, she will be performing blindfolded to block out whatever feeble light that some athletes might still perceive as means of equalizing the playing field.

Thankfully, Aceveda will have plenty of time to hone her technique together with coach Bernard Buen since the F11 women's discus throw finals are set on August 31 at the Japan National Stadium.

Both athletes said they were quite comfortable with their quarters and gave the thumbs-up to the food served at the two-story Athletes Village dining hall, which is open round-the-clock to serve the over 4,000 athletes and officials from 163 countries taking part in the Tokyo Para Games.

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