Is Patafa having a change of heart?

After announcing, matter-of-factly, that the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) “does not want her in the team anymore,” another Patafa official yesterday said, “It’s not really final.”

The other day, Patafa President Philip Ella Juico said that Tabal is out to ruin the federation and that the selection of athletes is not based on performance alone but also attitude and how an athlete respects authority and her commitment to the federation. In that same announcement, as a show of unity, Patafa also had some athletes speak against Tabal.

But yesterday, Patafa’s Marketing and Communications Director Edward Kho said that while at the moment, things are not favorable to Tabal, her chances of making the team will depend on her effort if she will do something about it.

“It’s not really a tight-sealed closed door,” Kho told SunStar Cebu over the phone when asked about the finality of their decision on Tabal’s exclusion from the national team and lineup in the 29th Southeast Asian Games.

“As to the finality on the issue, it rests upon her. Siya kasi ang umalis sa federation. She has to make a definitive action to demonstrate her sincerity that she would comply with the regulation, standard and values of the federation,” said Kho.

Mary Joy Tabal plans to send a letter of reinstatement to the Patafa, the governing body for track and field in the country, on Tuesday afternoon. “We will follow the process and the first step is for us to submit the letter of reinstatement to Patafa,” Tabal said.

Kho said that sending a letter of reinstatement is one of the processes and also the athlete should follow the rules and regulations of the federation.

“As far as we are concerned, she should meet the conditions so we can proceed whatever amicable settlement that will happen,” said Kho. “It’s the same as if you are working in a company and if you apply again, you have to go through a process.”

Kho said that in their last meeting with Tabal and her team after the Olympics, they presented her with a copy of the rules and regulations of the federation.

According to Tabal, one of the rules and regulations presented is for her to train in Baguio. She said that they have talked about it in their last meeting and they were open to that but not for the whole span of the training.

“We asked them if maybe we can work it out because Joy has four seasons of her training—the base, built, peak and pre-competition. We suggested that she can train in Cebu for the base and go to Baguio for the peak,” said Tabal’s long-time coach John Philip Duenas.

Jonel Borromeo, the president of Motor Ace Philippines, the major backer of Tabal, said they remain hopeful that Tabal will still wear the country’s colors in the biennial meet.

“Miracles can happen. We have a few more days left,” said Borromeo, referring to the final date of 2017 Sea Games screening on June 10 to 15.

It’s not really a tight sealed closed door... She has to make a definitive action to demonstrate her sincerity that she would comply with the regulations of the federation. EDWARD KHO Patafa’s Marketing and Communications Director