MARATHON runner Mary Joy Tabal will be able to rejoin the Philippine Athletics’ team to the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games this August.
The 27-year-old Cebuana got the green light after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association granted her request to be reinstated, but with several conditions.
Tabal, who is currently training in Tuscany, Italy, will be back with the national team for the third time.
PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said Tabal’s letter requesting for reinstatement indicated a commitment to comply with all of PATAFA’s rules and regulations.
She agreed to have five-time SEA Games gold-medalist and now national coach Rene Herrera as her official mentor.
John Philip Duenas, a coach who dabbles into triathlon, has been handling her training for many years.
Tabal also agreed to report to the PATAFA office upon her arrival from her overseas training and do this regularly.
Juico added that Tabal made it clear that she never spoke negatively about PATAFA in public and in social media.
She also agreed to withdraw her February 17, 2017 letter of complaint to the Philippine Sports Commission on the PATAFA.
“Ms. Tabal continues 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,” sais Juico in a statement.
He added that Tabal will be allowed to bring her own technical staff to the SEA Games competitions.
And that’s in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEA Games organizing committee and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
“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,” said Juico.
