Tabal excluded from roster for Southeast Asian Games

Mary Joy Tabal

The Philippine Track and Field Association (Patafa) has excluded Rio de Janeiro Olympian Mary Joy Tabal from its athletes roster for the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Patafa executive vice president Nicanor “Boy” Sering made the announcement Wednesday, saying that Tabal failed to cooperate with the local track and field association for her inclusion in the national team.

“She didn’t show any intention of participating in the national team. There was no effort on her part,” said Sering. “There’s a process that we have to follow if an athlete wants to join the national team. Even if you’re clockings are good, that doesn’t make you a national player outright.”

But the country’s top marathoner, who bagged a silver in the previous edition of the biennial meet in Singapore, still holds on to the hope that she can represent the country.

“All the training outside and the breaking of the national record is part of my plan in preparation for the SEA games,” Tabal said.

“I was thinking [that] if my performance in Ottawa will be good, then we can plan to meet with Patafa to show interest to compete with the help of [the] PSC. I just wanted to make sure that I am ready and fully conditioned before my appeal to them [and] to make sure I have concrete performance evidence to show.”

Tabal recently won the Scotiabank Ottawa Half Marathon in Canada after suiting up for the Philippines last year as its first woman marathoner who officially qualified in the Olympics.

Tabal said she still hopes to be part of the national team to the Kuala Lumpur Games.

“For now, I just want to focus and continue my training and hope I get to represent the country in the coming SEA Games,” said the runner from Cebu.

“All I want is to run for the country.”