Joy for Tabal as wish granted

CEBU, Philippines - The wish of Cebuana Olympian Mary Joy Tabal to don the Philippine colors in the forthcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games has been granted.

This developed after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) reinstated Tabal - for the third time - to the national team.

That means the country's undisputed marathon queen and record-holder is now officially part of the crack Phl contigent that will showcase their athletic talents in the 29th SEA Games on August 19-30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She won silver medal during the 2015 SEAG in Singapore.

In a statement released to various news outlets yesterday afternoon, the PATAFA said they granted Tabal's request for reinstatement because the long-distance running star from the mountain barangay of Guba in Cebu City has committed to comply with all the rules and regulations of the organization.

Tabal, who made history as teh first Filipina athlete to compete in an Olympic marathon event in Rio de Janiero, Brazil last year, made the request after PATAFA President Philip Ella Juico announced in a hastily called news conference last week that they are cutting off ties with the bemedalled Cebuana athlete for violating the rules of their organization.

Juico then formed the PATAFA Reinstatement Committee composed PATAFA Director and Committee co-chair Atty. Rufus Rodriguez, Secretary General Reynato Unso, PATAFA Communications and Marketing Director Edward Kho, PATAFA Executive Vice President Atty. Nicanor Sering and national coach Jojo Posadas.

The Committee acted favorably on Tabal's request but under several conditions, to which Tabal agreed.

"With marathoner Ms Mary Joy Tabal’s recent email to the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) dated June 14, 2017 that has a commitment to comply with all of PATAFA’s rules and regulations; from having a five-time SEA Games gold-medalist, PATAFA national coach as her official coach; to reporting to the PATAFA office upon her arrival from her overseas training and regularly thereafter; and with her statement that she never spoke negatively about PATAFA in public and in social media; to her declaration that she is withdrawing her February 17, 2017 letter to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) she was asked to sign by PSC;  the PATAFA grants the request of Ms Tabal to be reinstated, for the third time, to the Philippine Athletics team to the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA Games) in August 2017," the statement reads.

The PATAFA has designated Rene Herrera, a five-time SEA Games gold medalist, as Tabal's coach. However, she is allowed to bring her own technical staff to the SEA Games competitions, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEA Games organizing committee and the Philippine Olympic Committee. 

After the SEA Games, the PATAFA said Tabal must continue with her training program designed by her present technical staff and will submit the same to PATAFA and PSC, through PATAFA, in accordance with long-standing rules.

And to facilitate her integration into the PATAFA community of athletes, coaches and officials, Tabal will report upon her arrival from overseas training on August 9 or shortly thereafter to the PATAFA in Manila so that she can further familiarize herself with her responsibilities and commitments as one of the stakeholders of PATAFA and the serious repercussions, applicable to all PATAFA athletes, of violations of PATAFA rules.

"We look forward to Ms Tabal working with the entire PATAFA team as a positive contributor to the victories that the 33 other members of the Athletics team are well on their way to achieving for the country and the Filipino people," the PATAFA said. (FREEMAN)