Mary Joy Tabal, the Cebu-bred marathoner, arrived in the country Sunday night from Canada, eager to earn her spot in the Philippine delegation that will compete in the Rio Olympics this August.
Less than a week after making the Olympic standard following an eight-place finish in the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon in Canada, Tabal flew to Cebu from Canada via Hong Kong and expressed her desire to return to the fold of the Patafa.
Tabal had severed her ties with the Patafa last year but since she is being persuaded to patch things up to facilitate her Olympic stint, the 26-year-old long distance expert doesn’t have a choice.
Reports have it that Tabal and the Patafa have started exploratory talks to iron things out and a press conference at the Casino Espanol in Cebu City was scheduled to take place last night.