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| Jeanette Aceveda has pulled out of the Tokyo Paralympics women's discus throw event after testing positive for COVID-19. PSC (file photo) |
MANILA--The Philippines' road to the elusive Paralympic gold just got even tougher after COVID-19 once again hit two members of the national team.
Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo bared on Sunday that para-athlete Jeanette Aceveda and her coach, Bernard Buen, tested positive for COVID-19 two days before she is supposed to compete.
Aceveda is the second athlete from the Philippine Paralympic team who tested positive for the coronavirus and would not be able to participate in the events they are in.
Barredo announced last week that para powerlifter Jinky Guion also tested positive for COVID-19 and was not able to join the trip to Tokyo.
"We are sad to share the news that our para-athletic discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda and her coach Bernard Buen tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing the mandatory daily saliva antigen test followed by a confirmatory RT-PCR test at the Tokyo Paralympic Village as required under the Olympic/Paralympic Playbook," said Barredo, who replaced Kiko Diaz as chef de mission after Diaz himself also tested positive prior to the trip to the Japanese capital.
Aceveda was scheduled to play in the women's discus throw event on Tuesday, but Barredo said that she "is greatly disappointed that she will have to withdraw from her event."
"Although she would not be able to fulfill her dream to compete in the Paralympics and represent the Philippines, Jeanette still hopes there will be more chances for her to make this come true in the future," he further said.
With the development, the Philippine team now has four active participants left with a full week left in the competition, para swimmers Gary Bejino and Ernie Gawilan, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan, and para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin.
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