Abdulkadir Guiapar 1st Filipino Asian Champion 400m Hurdles

Abdulkadir Guiapar

Published May, 13 2017

It wasn’t until 2017 some 44 years later that the Philippines would again win the 400 Hurdles at the Asian Champs care of Fil-Heritage athlete Eric Shauwn Cray.

Abdulkadir Guiapar, Asian Champion in 400 Hurdles

One of the first big names produced by the late Rosito Andaya was Abdulkadir Guiapar from Cotabato. Andaya molded the hard-working Guiapar into an Asian champion in the 400 Hurdles.

Guia para succeeded the aging Timoteo Galima, who had been the national champion in 400 Hurdles on and off for the last decade.

In 1972  at the Singapore Open Guipar won 52.8 in the 400 Hurdles. He also clocked 11.0 in the Heats of 100 there.

At the Asian Athletic Championships where he won the 400 Hurdles in front of a stunned home crowd at the Rodriguez Center in Marikina in November of 1973. Guiapar timed 52.2.

Guiapar had a great range across several events like most of Andaya’s athletes. He timed 10.6 in 1974 for the 100m one of the fastest times for that year in the country. Tying 100m specialists Mario Tabuno and Ruben Mordeno. He was beaten in the Singapore Open that year in 400  Hurdles clocking 53.1. He also clocked a hand-timed 51.8 in 1974 at Marikina.

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Final Years

At the Asian Games which was to be his last major meet, he placed 5th in the Final timing 52.58. Talib Faisal of Iraq won in 51.69, Abbas of Kuwait at 52.32, and Lehan Singh of India was Bronze at 52.49. Meaning Guiapar had lost a very close fight for the bronze. Faisal had been second to Guiapar in Marikina in 1973 and had a big improvement from his time then of 52.7.

Guiapar died the following year in 1975 in a traffic accident. 3 Months after the death of Tokal Mokalam. Hence the Philippines in a short time frame lost two of its greatest-ever athletes.

It wasn’t until 2017 some 44 years later that the Philippines would again win the 400 Hurdles at the Asian Champs care of Fil-Heritage athlete Eric Shauwn Cray.

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