Members of Philippine Paralympic delegation positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Multiple members of Team Philippines bound for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics have tested positive for COVID-19, the Philippine Paralympic Committee announced.

In a statement released Sunday, the PPC said that "some officials, coaches, and a para-athlete" from the Philippine delegation caught the malady and are now in isolation.

Just in: Some members of the Philippine delegation to the Tokyo Paralympics tested positive for COVID-19. It included an athlete. @PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/SY4V3hnRwX

— Joey Villar (@JoeySVillar) August 22, 2021

Para athletes from the Philippines are now slashed to just five with the one para athlete testing positive.

However, PPC President Michael Barredo remains optimistic of the team's performance in Tokyo.

"We are confident our athletes will give their best in pursuit of their Paralympic dreams and to bring honor and glory to our country," wrote Barredo in the statement.

Buoyed by their abled counterparts in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, Philippine Para athletes are looking to make history of their own.

The six para athletes who qualified for Tokyo are swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino, taekwondo's Allain Ganapin, powerlifter Achelle Guion, and athletics' Jerrold Magnliwan and Jeanette Aceveda.

There is no information yet as who the para athlete who tested positive is.

The Tokyo Paralympics unfurl Tuesday, August 24.