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| photo (c) Marcos Rabasto's Facebook Page |
Differently-abled table tennis player Marcos Rabasto is determined to represent the country in international competitions after his debut in the 2015 Philippine National Games (PNG).
Rabasto, 39 years old, who represents Cainta, Rizal in the table tennis tournament of the national tilt, is playing the sport on his wheelchair.
He said he wants to show people what he can do despite his disability.
“Gusto namin ipakita na kahit kami ay may kapansanan, kaya rin namin gawin ang kaya ng walang kapansanan [we want to show people that even though we have disabilities, we can also do what normal people can do],” he said.
A wheelchair maker by profession, Rabasto said that he is aiming to clinch a spot in the national ranks after showing off skills in the PNG.
Besides table tennis, Rabasto also competed in wheelchair basketball and in lawn tennis.
“Nagcompete na ako sa wheelchair basketball noon at sa lawn tennis pero ngayon, table tennis talaga kinuha ko [I already played in wheelchair basketball and lawn tennis in the past years, but this year I want to focus on table tennis],” he added.
The representative of Cainta encouraged young people with physical challenges to excel in different sports.
“Huwag niyong hayaan na maging hadlang sa inyo ang kapansanan niyo. Hindi hadlang ang kapansanan para maabot ang mga pangarap [Don’t let your disabilities hinder you from reaching for your dreams. Physical disabilities should no stop you from fulfilling your dreams],” he said.
Source: Jaelle Nevin Reyes of Manila Times
