Kidney transplant recipients hold 2-day olympics

A whole day of sports competition and fun games will rock the Marikina Sports Center as more than a hundred athletes from the Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines Inc. (KITAP), the umbrella organization of kidney transplant recipients nationwide, holds its two-day 10th Philippine Transplant Games 2005 starting tomorrow at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the Marikina Sports Center.

Day 1 will feature messages from guests from the NKTI, followed by a Patients’ Forum on the topic "Preparing for the next step in mycophenolic acid (MPA) protection," to be presented by Dr. Romina Danguilan, a nephrology consultant.

Game proper will be held in the afternoon with bowling at the AMF Puyat Bowling Lanes at Ever Commonwealth, and other indoor games such as darts, table tennis and badminton simultaneously played in various venues.

Day 2 will be the main event at the Marikina Sports Center highlighted by a colorful parade of athletes lead by KITAP officers, players and members, and joined by special guests Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando and Marikina Rep. Del de Guzman.

The event is dubbed "A decade of unity, triumph and excellence in the arena of sports," and chaired by Dr. Antonio Paraiso, NKTI’s nephrology consultant.

Organized by the KITAP, this year’s staging is supported by the NKTI, Novartis Healthcare Philippines and Roche Philippines.

The annual sports event is KITAP’s way of spreading the wonders of organ transplantation and heralding the kidney transplant recipients’ return to the mainstream of society.

For more details, contact the KITAP office at 925-8749.