MARY Joy Tabal has promised to seek reinstatement with the national team.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico said this as the 26-year-old long distance runner returned home to Cebu City on Monday.
Juico said he is now waiting for Tabal’s letter so the PATAFA can act accordingly.
“She said she will forward a letter. Nag-usap na kami (Tabal’s sponsors),” said Juico following talks with Moto Ace Philippines executive Jonel Borromeo, a Cebu-based businessman.
Tabal made the Olympic qualifying standard in the 2016 Scotia Bank Marathon in Ottawa two weekends ago.
But Juico said he is still unsure of her status with the national delegation to be sent to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Since Tabal met the qualifying Olympic standard, the PATAFA is now confirming her status with the IAAF. Tabal was training on her own after she resigned from the national team last December.
Tabal, who is training under coach, triathlete Philip Duenas, said she will resume preparations again once his issues with the national team have been ironed out.
She plans to go back to Japan to train for the Olympiad.
“For Rio, I already planned on going back to Japan as soon as maayos na ‘yung status ko,” added Tabal, confident of making it to the PH team.
Juico said long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang will now have to join qualifiers in Kyrgyztan and Kazakhstan in the coming weeks to assure herself of a place in the national team.
Her status is in jeopardy after she was given an universality slot earlier on the premise that no one other Filipino female athlete will qualify for the Olympics.
If Tabal is confirmed for Rio, Torres-Sunang’s universality slot will be cancelled.