Borromeo hopes Joy gets slot for 2017 Seag

After setting her latest record, Mary Joy Tabal will get a two-day rest in Cebu before she returns to Italy to continue her training for the 29th Southeast Asian (Sea) Games, which is set in August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“I was very impressed by her (Tabal), she was able to achieve the record and did it two minutes faster. It means that her training in Italy is effective, so we are sending her back to Italy to continue the training,” said Jonel Borromeo, the president of Motor Ace Philippines, after Tabal won the women’s 21K category of the 2017 ScotiaBank Marathon.

The Motor Ace Philippines has been the major backer of Tabal since she joined the Motor Ace Kawasaki Racing Team in 2015.

Borromeo said that the race in Canada gauged the readiness of Tabal for the biennial regional sporting meet, where she finished with a silver medal in the marathon in the 28th edition in Singapore.

Tabal will stay in Canada for about seven days and then will go back to Cebu before flying to Italy for training at the Tuscany Training Camp from June 8 to August.

“I think she will only stay for two days here in Cebu before she goes back to Italy. She and the rest of the runners at Tuscany Training Camp will go to the mountains in of Switzerland for the high altitude training,” shared Borremeo.

When asked about Tabal’s inclusion in the national team delegation for Sea Games, Borromeo said he has no updates about it but strongly believes that Tabal deserves a slot, being a Sea Games silver medalist in 2015.

“It’s all dependent on Patafa (Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association). For our part, we are just preparing to make her ready. I hope they will bring her on board and I think there’s no reason that she will not be brought to Malaysia,” said Borromeo.

Tabal was released by the Patafa, the national sports association (NSA) for track and field in the country, in September last year after her stint in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Meanwhile, Tabal thanked the Filipinos and all her supporters for her latest victory.

“This race in Canada is very close to my heart. I was very happy to cross the finish line again. It recalled my memories of last year where I finished the 42K,” she said. /

It’s all dependent on Patafa...I hope they bring her on board. JONEL BORROMEO on Tabal’s inclusion in PHL team.