THE Triathlon Association of the Philippines has announced the formation of the Philippine ParaTriathlon Committee with veteran management consultant and sportswriter Lito Cinco as Chairman, together with members Sarita Zafra, Anton Tangan, head coach Anthony Lozada and Fabie David as core group members and TRAP Secretary General Tom Carrasco as adviser.
The group has already finalized its basic plans and programs aimed at developing paratriathlon in the country with the objective of forming a national training team of paratriathletes by the first quarter of 2018.
From whose ranks, representatives to next year’s Asian Paratriathlon Championship set in Albay in August, the 2019 ParaGames to be held parallel with the SEA Games that the Philippines will host, and the 2020 Paralympics, shall be culled.
TRAP is one of the few National Sports Associations already working towards this goal of developing programs for the differently-abled athletes, specifically for paratriathlon.
“PWD-athletes need understanding, they are not begging, they need opportunity and not pity and we are committed towards attaining our goal of giving those interested the opportunity to become members of the Philippine paratriathlon team in the future and bring honor to themselves and to the country,” said Carrasco who is the Vice President of the Philippine Paralympic Committee, with Mike Barredo as President.
Cinco has already touched base with the Cebu Paratriathlon community and is eyeing local Alex Silverio, who has already completed a triathlon event recently, and the Philippine Marines as possible source of potential athletes.
“We are all working here as volunteers and we just want to do our share of helping PWDs by providing them the chance of becoming paratriathletes . At the same time, TRAP will already include a paratriathlon category in all its National Age Group Triathlon series in 2018,” Cinco said.
Head coach Lozada has already come up with the proposed selection process and parameters and training program, while the committee will also communicate with the International Triathlon Union, the Asian Triathlon Confederation, the Philippine Sports Commission, which is expected to provide the initial funding for the paratriathlon program, and the POC .
The group is also working on a list of companies and foundations that can be tapped for its program.