Some 100 person with disability (PWD) athletes are set to compete in various events of the Araw ng Dabaw Paragames which set to unfurl at the Rizal Park on March 14.
Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (Philspada)-Davao president and Association of Differently-Abled Persons (Adap)-Davao president James Infiesto, in yesterday’s edition of the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the NCCC Mall Davao Food Cove Function Hall that this year’s Paragames will feature 10 events for the PWD athletes.
Events include the fun run for the visually-impaired and hearing impaired, wheelathon, volleyball for the hearing impaired, goal ball for the blind, wheelchair basketball, table tennis on wheelchair and crutches and chess for the blind and orthopedically-handicapped.
The fun run and the wheelathon will usher the event at 6 a.m. at the Freedom Park while the PWD athletes will also have a march going to the Rizal Park.
Cash prizes, medals and trophies await the top three placers in each event.
On a side note, Infiesto said that following the march going to Rizal Park, the PWD athletes will announce their support for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential bid.
“The Mayor has been instrumental to the inclusion of the Paragames as part of the regular celebrations of the Araw ng Dabaw and the Kadayawan Festival. We could have not celebrated these events without his approval.
That is why we PWD athletes will express our support for him,” Infiesto said in the vernacular.
He also said that he has already informed the head of the partylist concerned on the welfare of PWDs that they will support Duterte.
Infiesto added that they will be joined by an association of magicians who will provide entertainment for the PWD athletes as well as a group of car enthusiasts who are expected to contribute in their fellowship lunch.