Corporal Cabanog happy for another shot in the sport he loves

Dubai: Philippines wheelchair basketball centre Alfie Cabanog says the sport has given him a second chance after he lost his leg after stepping on a landmine in 2012.

The 26-year-old former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) gunner from Cotabato was on patrol in Basilan, south west Mindanao, when the incident occurred. He was a promising centre for the AFP basketball team at the time.

“When it happened I didn’t want to live anymore, I wished I was never born, but now I thank God for giving me a second chance and showing me that there is a plan for my life, and I’m very happy to be at this stage now,” he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the ongoing Eighth Fazza Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at Al Ahli Club on Tuesday.

“When I played before I lost my leg, I used to dunk the ball in my position as a centre point guard, but now I can’t do that,” added the corporal, who has since been recommissioned as an AFP document controller at Fort Magsaysay in Palayan, northern Philippines. “Instead I’m an aggressive power centre and can help the team with rebounds.”