PATAFA still undecided on Tabal’s reinstatement

CEBU, Philippines - Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) chief Philip Ella Juico described their meeting with Mary Joy Tabal and her team yesterday as 'fruitful,' but they have not come up yet with a decision to reinstate the Cebuana marathoner back into the national sports association’s fold.

"Ms. Mary Joy Tabal has taken another step in her request to be reinstated in the PATAFA national team," said Juico in an official statement sent to different media outlets yesterday. "We met with Tabal and her major supporter, Cebu-based Motor Ace Philippines, represented by Jonel and Chippy Borromeo, both active sports benefactors."

Juico said their discusssion centered on the direction Tabal wishes to take with respect to her future as a national athlete bearing in mind the short term, the forthcoming Rio Olympics, and the medium and long terms, after the Rio Olympics.

In accordance with International Olympic Committee, the Philippine Olympic Committee, the International Association of Athletics Federation and PATAFA requirements, Juico said they sent Tabal to the PSC Sports Science Center, headed by Dr. Alex Pineda, for the mandatory, unannounced out-of-competition drug/doping test. The results will be out in 10 days.

"Tabal has agreed to comply with all PATAFA rules and regulations, both existing and still to be promulgated, although certain matters remain to be discussed with regard to where she will train and who her coach shall be," said Juico. "We will process all that we took up during what was a fruitful discussion and will need a few days to promulgate our final position on her reinstatement."

Tabal has already met the Olympic qualifying standard time of 2:45 after clocking in two hours, 43 minutes and 29 seconds during the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon in Canada last week. She finished eighth among 1,455 female runners.

The feat, however, did not give Tabal an outright berth to Rio as she still needs to comply with certain requirements set forth by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the PATAFA for an athlete to represent the country in the Olympics.

First and foremost, Tabal must be reinstated to the national team, something his team is upbeat bout.

“The meeting went well and discussion focused on what to do leading up to Rio. That is assuming she gets reinstated. My feeling is good because I saw us moving forward on discussion,” said Motor Ace president Jonel Borromeo.

For her part, Tabal is happy that she finally cleared things out with PATAFA and that she intends to comply with all the association's rules.

‘Mura ko naibtan og tunok. I am happy that we finally sat down and talked and actually addressed our concerns face to face. Although they have not decided yet, the discussion centred on Rio. What happens after Rio, we will discuss with them again,” said the country's reigning marathon queen.  (FREEMAN)