Allain Ganapin, who sat out the Tokyo Paralympics after testing positive for COVID-19, needed some time to get his bearings going before winning his first match in Paris.
Allain Ganapin recovered from a tentative start and bested Hadi Hassanzada, 22-13, in the men’s K44 80-kg round of 32 in the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 para taekwondo on Saturday, August 31 (PHL time).
Down 7-10 after the first two minutes of action at the Grand Palais in the French capital, the 26-year-old Ganapin went berserk beginning with a back kick that gave him the 12-10 lead.
Before he knew it, Ganapin, whose right arm had to be amputated up to the elbow because of a congenital disorder, built a sizable 18-10 advantage.
Hassanzada of the refugee Olympic team tried to mount a comeback, responding with a powerful front kick that floored Ganapin.
Born in Afghanistan, raised in Iran, and sought refuge in Europe, Hassanzada pressed the action but Ganapin found a gap amid the barrage and unleashed a shot to the trunk to put him away for good.
It was a thrilling debut for the Filipino jin, who missed the Tokyo Paralympics after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
He secured his ticket to Paris by way of the Asian Qualifying Tournament he topped after beating Sandeep Singh Maan of India, 25-13 in the finals.
After the sensational win over Hassanzada, Ganapin advanced to the round of 16 against Azerbaijan’s Abulfaz Abuzarli later in the day.