JOY’S PURSUIT
ALSO: GWEN SEEKS PROBE ON TABAL’S EXCLUSION
Despite being in this position for the past two years, Mary Joy Tabal did not expect that the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) would not include her in the lineup for the 29th Southeast Asian (Sea) Games.
“It’s just like last year and also in 2015. But this time I did not really expect it because I thought I was part of the lineup for Sea Games already,” Tabal told sports scribes during the welcome party hosted by Motor Ace Philippines Inc. yesterday.
The 27-year-old Guba, Cebu pride said that she thought that she’s on board for the 2017 Sea Games after she read news that she’s a shoo-in to the national squad and after her victory in the 40th Milo Marathon and also by virtue of her being a silver medalist in the biennial meet in 2015.
“It was announced during the Philippine Sports Association (PSA) gathering, and I read an article from ABS-CBN quoting Patafa that a bronze medalist in 2015 is already part of this year’s delegation,” she said.
Tabal said that to follow the pro- cedure, they will write a letter to request reinstatement.
The Olympian had also written a reinstatement letter last year for her stint in the Rio Olympics, but after the race, she was released from the national squad.
In 2015, Tabal was also added to the lineup weeks only after the SEA Games in Singapore.
For country
“I want to represent the country. This test will motivate me to do more on my training,” said Tabal, who flies to Italy today to continue her training at the Tuscany Training Camp.
Motor Ace Philippines Inc. president Jonel Borromeo, the major backer of Tabal, said that the plan right now is for Tabal to be reinstated to the national squad. But if it does not happen, it won’t be the end of the road for the young Cebuana.
“If the reinstatement does not happen, we will look for other bigger races to join. It’s not the end of the line for Joy. SEA Games is what I call an honorable run because you are representing the population of 90 million,” said Borromeo.
Philippine Sports Commission
Why is the best Filipina marathoner and an Olympian not part of the lineup? For me personally, it’s all about pride. We hope that they will think about this decision MON FERNANDEZ PSC Commissioner
(PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez encourages Tabal to stay strong because the country is rallying behind her.
Fernandez said that he talked to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena and the Cebu City Council will file a resolution and letter of recommendation for Tabal to be included in the lineup of the 29th Sea Games.
Fernandez also said that Congresswoman Gwen Garcia plans to file a resolution in Congress to start an investigation regarding the issue of Tabal and her exclusion from the lineup. (Related story, A6)
Submitting to Patafa
“Why is the best Filipina marathoner and an Olympian not part of the lineup? For me personally, it’s all about pride. We hope that they will think about this decision” said Fernandez.
Tabal’s long-time coach John Philip Duenas said that after they met with Patafa in September last year, he thought that everything was going well. He said that he even e-mailed the macro-training program of Tabal last October and followed up the micro-training program in the next month.
“In the meeting in September last year with Patafa president (Philip Ella) Juico they presented the rules and regulations and we also discussed her training,” he said. “On our part, we thought that the communication already has flow. It was also announced that she can represent the country. We were just shocked after the Ottawa Marathon.”