Cebuana marathoner Mary Joy Tabal’s victory in the women’s marathon of the 29th Southeast Asian Games is a breath of fresh air amid the ill wind caused by parochial politics plaguing the country’s national sports associations (NSAs).
Specifically, it is a resounding slap in the face of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) that initially ousted her from the national team for refusing to comply with their training requirements when she insisted on bringing her own trainer at practically no expense to the government.
Tabal’s victory also illustrated in principle how the private sector was able to better manage a lone athlete or team using their own resources and training compared to NSAs whose chiefs and personnel are paid for by the government but whose spotty, even dismal record for international sporting events had denied the country more chances of landing in the world sports stage.
Still, we have to revisit the reasons behind Patafa’s initial refusal to include Tabal in the national team, which is shared by fellow athletes Sean Guevarra and Marestella Torres-Sunang.
In an article on Rappler, Patafa Chairman Philip Ella Juico issued a statement listing the qualities for inclusion in the national team including honor, fidelity to the national team, respect for authority and the absence of any sense of entitlement.
By “respect” and “sense of entitlement,” Juico was referring to Tabal’s so-called use of Patafa as a “revolving door” in which she joins Patafa’s officially sanctioned events then leaves to compete on her own in international fields not sanctioned by Patafa.
In essence, Patafa wants Tabal to abide by their rules and compete only in officially sanctioned events and to act like their “faithful little soldier” in their war for international sporting glory.
To refuse coaches sanctioned by Patafa to train her and to compete in non-sanctioned events even if it would help enhance her competitive edge in future events like the Asian Games next year would be equated by Patafa as a “sense of entitlement” and thus unsuitable for any athlete wishing to be included in the national team.
It’s not just about performance, Patafa officials and even some athletes loyal to them insist. Athletes must, first and foremost, display undying loyalty and fealty to the NSAs if they are to be included in the national team.
But the bottom line is that performance is what counts for the Filipino public whose taxes pay for the NSAs and the training of the athletes. And the fact that the country has yet to win its first gold medal in the Olympics, let alone present a memorable performance in the Asian Games, is a telling testament to the sorry track record of NSAs.
In that respect, it is not Tabal but the NSAs that should be held accountable by the public for their failure to produce more world-class athletes from the country.