Back-up plan for an Olympian
UC wants Tabal in PHL-Universiade team if Patafa won’t reinstate Cebuana for 2017 SEA Games
UNIVERSITY of Cebu Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Law Baldomero Estenzo is offering Olympian Mary Joy Tabal an alternative route in case the marathon queen won’t get reinstated by the Philippine Track and Field Association (Patafa) as member of the national team in time for the Southeast Asian Games (Sea Games) in August.
Estenzo, who is now part of the inner circle of the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (Fessap), wants Tabal to be a part of the Philippine team to Universiade in July 2017.
But first Tabal has to enroll in college or graduate school.
“If Joy wants it, we will be glad to welcome her as part of the Philippine delegation to the Taipei Universiade. And maybe win Team Philippines its second gold medal in the Universiade. But first she has to enroll,” Estenzo told Sun.Star Cebu.
Tabal welcomed the offer and she is willing to accept if Estenzo will grant her athletic scholarships at UC.
“I have finished my college and masters degrees. Probably, a doctorate degree won’t be too bad. Coach Philipp (Dueñas) also advised me to take doctorate studies so that I have another outlet after my training. I really wanted to pursue an accounting degree, but I have to think twice because that course is very time demanding. As for the Universiade, I’d be glad to represent Team Philippines, but it will depend if I won’t get reinstated by Patafa for the Sea Games. I’d be glad to be part of the team,” Tabal said.
After the Rio Olympics, Tabal was released by Patafa but last October, the two parties had another round of negotiations and the national athletics officials asked them to provide them with the training regimen of the Cebuana running queen last October.
Among the plans of Tabal is a high-altitude training camp in Kenya that will last for two months, a stint which she described as twice as hard as her training in Japan.
Patafa also wants Dueñas to apply as coach with the national team and wants Tabal to stay in Manila and follow their training program.
“All I want for now is to know if I will be representing the country for the Sea Games. Para ba wala na ko huna-hunaon, training na lang. They should consider that being in Cebu is comfortable for me. Mas ma inspire ko mag training kay kahibawo ko naa ko sa akong comfort zone, naa akong pamilya, naa ang mga Cebuano nga motabang og encourage nako to do more. I know dako pa kaayo ko room for improvement but if they will insist nga adto jud ko mag- base sa Manila, basin dili unya maayo para sa ako nga part. If ganahan sila, train ko sa Cebu then if naay duol na nga race, let’s say for example Sea Games, I will train in Baguio for two months. I can do that,” Tabal said.