iKalinga para-archer one of PH flag bearers in 2024 Paralympics

Tabuk City, Kalinga – iKalinga para-athlete was one of the two who held the Philippine flag in the opening ceremony of one of the largest sporting events in the world, the Paralympics on Thursday, August 29 (Philippine Time) in Paris.

After the success of Filipino athletes like Carlos Yulo, Aira Villegas, and Nesthy Petecio in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, it is now the turn of the ‘Philippine Sensational Six’ to further show the world what the Filipino players have under their belt from August 29 – September 9 (Philippine time).

In this year’s event, the 6-man team attended the opening event with iKalinga para-archer Agustina Bantiloc and veteran para-swimmer Ernie Gawilan as the Philippine flag bearers.

Joining Bantiloc, who hails from Tanudan in the Paralympics, is another iKalinga pride, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan of Tabuk City who is in his third Paralympic stint.

Other members of the ‘Philippine Sensational Six’ include para-swimmer Angel Mae Otom, para-athlete Cendy Asusano, and Allain Keanu Ganapin who will be representing the Philippines in the Para Taekwondo.

Since 1988, the Philippines has hauled two bronze medals in the Paralympic Games. One was collected by Adeline Dumapong in Para Weightlifting in 2000 in Sydney while the other was brought home by Josephine Medina in the Para Table Tennis in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.