PINATIBAY ng kanyang pagsasanay sa ibang bansa, sabik na si Cebuana-pride Mary Joy Tabal na palawigin ang kanyang pagiging marathon queen sa pag-arangkada ng 30th Southeast Asian Games marathon competitions sa Disyembre 6 sa world-class New Clark City athletics stadium.
“My target, of course, is nothing less than the gold. But anything can happen during the race. All that I can say is that we’re already prepared our strategies,’’ wika ni Tabal, na sumabak sa Rio Olympics.
Isang five-time Milo Marathon national champion, si Tabal ay nagwagi ng medalyang ginto, dalawang taon na ang nakalilipas sa Malaysia SEA Games. Naorasan siya ng 2:48.26 upang talunin si Hoang Thi Thanh ng Vietnam.
Bagama’t pinapaborang makaulit, sinabi ni Tabal na wala siyang planong magkumpiyansa.
’’My main rival is the Vietnamese runner and Thailand can also win,’’ wika ni Tabal, na nagsanay sa Yokohama, Japan sa loob ng apat na buwan bilang paghahanda sa SEA Games.
Ang personal best ni Tabal ay 2:43.31 na kanyang naitala sa Canada, tatlong taon na ang nakalilipas.
Bukod sa mahirap at mapanghamong course na magsisimula at magtatapos sa athletics stadium, naniniwala si Tabal na magiging hamon din ang lagay ng panahon.
“The course in Kuala Lumpur is flat, while here is rolling up and down,’’ ani Tabal at sinabing ang mainit na simula ng bansa sa biennial meet ay isang malaking inspirasyon sa kanya para sungkitin ang gold.
‘’Continue supporting our athletes,’’ dagdag ni Tabal.
Naniniwala naman si PATAFA president Philip Juico na si Tabal ang best bet ng bansa sa marathon.
“Hopefully, she will live up to her lofty billing like she did in Malaysia,” sabi ni Juico.
Sinusugan ito ni PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez at sinabing kayang talunin ni Tabal ang mga kalaban.
“Tabal is highly energized, motivated and inspired. Her running ability was toughened by high level training in Japan and Italy. I am confident she will win and reaffirm her supremacy as undisputed queen of marathon in Southeast Asia,” sabi ni Fernandez.
“PSC gave her all the needed support and assistance in her training abroad for the SEA Games. There’s no reason for her not to win in the presence of her kababayan,” dagdag pa niya. CLYDE MARIANO
Comments are closed.