Patafa’s Rio dilemma

Cebu running queen Mary Joy Tabal made the grade for a slot to the 2016 Rio Olympics after placing eighth in the women’s category of the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon yesterday in the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

Informed about Tabal’s success, Patafa chief Philip Juico wasn’t too thrilled.

“She resigned from the Patafa last year,” said Juico when contacted yesterday.

For Tabal to be taken back into the fold, Juico said that the 26-year-old runner would have to reapply to the Patafa first.

But that’s not all.

Juico said Tabal’s feat complicated matters on the Philippines’ qualified entries to the Aug. 5 to 21 Rio Games as the Patafa has already been informed that long jump queen Marestella Torres has been awarded a wild card berth.

“The thing is that Marestella will get that slot if no other female bet from the Philippines will qualify,” said Juico.

“I will have to consult with the Patafa coaches and even the IAAF,” said Juico.

Tabal, the 2015 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, clocked 2:43.30 seconds for 39th overall, needing only to submit 2:45.00 to earn an Olympic ticket.

Tabal’s trip to Canada was bankrolled by a private group: Motor Ace Racing Philippines/Kawasaki.

Before traveling to Canada, Tabal, a resident of Barangay Guba in Cebu City, spent two weeks of training camp in Japan.

Juico, meanwhile, is a bit concerned with the impending public reaction about Tabal should the Patafa raise the issue of Tabal not being a member of the national team.

“I am afraid that this issue might even reach (incoming President) Rodrigo Duterte,” said Juico.

Juico clarified that Tabal was not kicked out of the national team but voluntarily resigned.

“We had plans for her but she wanted to do it her way,” said Juico.

Source: Nick Giongco of Tempo Sports

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Jamie Villegas, Joco Vasquez bag golds for Philippines in Vietnam Open karate

The Philippine contingent to the Vietnam Open karate tourney bagged 9 medals, including 2 golds.

JAMIE Villegas and Joco Vasquez captured two gold medals for the Philippines in the Vietnam Open Karate tournament in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.

The up-and-comers in the Philippine national team reigned in their respective events, with Villegas ruling the kata junior male and Vasquez copping the gold in the kata cadet male.

Cris Kawaen (kata junior male), OJ Delos Santos (kata senior), and Randy Padua Jr. (kumite junior +78kg) captured silver medals, while Leigh Cuadra (kata female junior and kumite female junior), Angel Aguilar (female junior kumite -53kg), and Andrei Mel Dela Cruz (kumite cadet) took home the bronze.

The Philippine national team’s campaign in the Vietnam Open was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and POC vice president Joey Romasanta.

Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

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PH BMX riders Caluag, Fines unable to qualify for Rio Olympics

Filipino riders Daniel Caluag, an Asian Games gold medalist, and Sienna Fines did not fare well at the UCI BMX World Championship time trials

photo (c) Odd Anderson

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino riders Daniel Caluag and Sienna Fines were unable to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this August after losing their respective races in the UCI BMX World Championship time trials over the weekend in Colombia, according to a report from INQUIRER.net.

Caluag, the Philippines' lone gold medalist in the 2014 Asian Games, wound up 70th in a field of 82 riders in the men's elite division with a time of 41.237.

Meanwhile, Fines was 18th out of 19 race finishers, coming in at 55.047, in the women juniors division.

According to the report, there is still hope for Caluag to enter as a wild card, depending on Union Cycliste Internationale or UCI and the International Olympic Committee. – Rappler.com

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Tabal makes marathon cut-off time for Rio Olympics

Photo (c) Mary Joy Tabal's Facebook 

MANILA, Philippines - Mary Joy Tabal, the marathon queen of the Philippines, made the cut-off time for the Rio Olympics by clocking two hours, 43 minutes and 29 seconds in placing 39th at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, May 29.

This exceeded the qualifying time by one minute and 31 seconds, and if the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association accepts this result and reinstates her into the national team, she will be the third entry for athletics in Rio after Eric Crey and Marestella Torres earlier qualified.

Tabal left the national pool in 2015, a few months after placing a surprise second in the Southeast Asian Games marathon event. The conflict was allegedly due to a stipulation that PATAFA wanted to clear sponsors wishing to fund an athlete. She has been training on her own with the assistance of sponsors instead of being trained through government funding.

No PATAFA official was available for immediate comment but a source had said Tabal must apply for reinstatement first..

Philip John Duenas, Tabal's coach, told Rappler.com that he will be meeting with MotorAce/Kawasaki, her sponsor, on Monday to decide the next course of action.

Tabal will be arriving from Canada on June 5, but it is not known if she will meet immediately with PATAFA in Manila or proceed to Cebu to see her sponsor and chart her entry into the Philippine Olympic team.

MotorAce/ Kawasaki funded Tabal's training in Japan, which began late January, for her to qualify for the Olympics. Her first attempt to meet the cut off time failed as she sputtered at the Boston Marathon's notorious Heartbreak Hills. – Rappler.com

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Rio dream still alive for Alkhaldi, Lacuna

Jasmine Alkhaldi. INQUIRER File photo

SWIMMERS Jasmine Alkhaldi, Jessie Khing Lacuna and Joshua Hall have until the end of June to meet the standard qualifying clockings for another tour of duty in the Olympics.

Alkhaldi and Lacuna, who both competed in the 2012 London Games, and the US-based Hall must meet the requirements before the International Swimming Federation (Fina) confirms the list of Rio de Janeiro Olympic qualifiers on July 3.

“There are still a number of qualifying meets where they could compete to achieve the standard,” said Philippine Swimming Inc. executive director Reyna Rose Suarez. “So far, we’re happy with their performances.”

Lacuna, 22, is a freestyle and butterfly specialist from Pulilan, Bulacan, who swam in the men’s 200m free in London while the Hawaii-based Alkhaldi raced in the women’s 100m free.

Lacuna, the country’s fastest swimmer from Ateneo, should at least meet the Olympic Selection Time (OST) of 1:51.75 seconds in the men’s 200m free.

He registered a personal-best of 1:50.73 during the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Alkhaldi, who turns 23 next month, owns the Philippine record of 56.10 seconds in the women’s 100m free, a fraction of a second faster than the 56.34 OST.

Hall holds the national mark in the men’s 100m breaststroke (1:02.40) and is trying to surpass the 1:02.69 OST before deadline.

Fina has set two qualifying standards—the faster Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) and the OST.
Swimmers who meet the OQT qualify outright while the world swim body determines the number of “universality” places based on the OQT.

By the end of the qualification period, Fina will assess the number of athletes who achieved the OQT before inviting athletes with OST to fulfill the total quota of 900 swimmers in Rio.

Source: June Navarro of Inquirer.net

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Philippines to host its first-ever Women's Club World Championship

FIVB Executive co-opted member Stav Jacobi (right) and Philippine Super Liga president Ramon Suzara at the signing ceremony for Philippines' hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship

Manila, Philippines, May 8, 2016 – The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and Eventcourt have announced that the Philippine capital, Manila, will be the host of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2016, which will take place from October 18 to 23.

The secret was unveiled in Manila on Sunday after having considered numerous bid applications.

“This is a historic moment for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship and to break new ground with the Philippines is very pleasing,” FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said. “The Philippines has a great tradition of hosting international women’s volleyball and now joins a long list of prestigious hosts of the FIVB’s signature women’s club event, providing a new opportunity for Philippine’s volleyball and its passionate fans to once again embrace international women’s volleyball and enjoy it.”

Quick links

FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship 2015

FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship History

FIVB Volleyball

The Philippines follows Brazil (1991, 1994), Italy (1992), Qatar (2010, 2011, 2012) and Switzerland (2013, 2014, 2015) as host countries of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.

This decision is undoubtedly of epic proportions for the Philippines, as this will be the first-ever World Championship in volleyball to be held in the country and will add to its impressive hosting portfolio, having previously been a host of the FIVB’s premier annual women’s volleyball competition  - the World Grand Prix.

The FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2016 will take place at the Mall of Asia Arena, which has a seating capacity of 15,000.

Philippine Super Liga president Ramon Suzara knows that organising the Women’s Club World Championship is a big honour for his country.

“The 2016 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship will be one, if not the biggest, of the major international tournaments we will be hosting here in the Philippines,” Suzara said. “Therefore, we are going to build a special organisation team with Eventcourt in order to provide a tournament of historic proportions.

“Philippine volleyball is experiencing a renaissance. But our athletes have been participating at international competitions only lately. The FIVB, however, has been very supportive of our endeavours to make the Philippines a strong sporting country again.”

FIVB Executive co-opted member Stav Jacobi is confident that the Philippines is the perfect place to host the pinnacle of women’s volleyball club competitions.

“The FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship has become a tournament of impressive extent over the last year,” Jacobi said. “The three editions in Zurich, economic capital of Switzerland, took this prestigious tournament to a new level. I am convinced that Manila and the Philippines have the infrastructure and knowledge to build on the recent advances.”

The 2016 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship will also have many innovations. One of these changes will be the increase in the number of the participating teams. 

For the first time in history, eight of the best teams in the world are going to play at the Women’s Club World Championship, split into two pools of four teams. 

The organisers announced the first four participants, including South American champions Rexona Ades of Brazil, CEV Champions League winners Pomi Casalmaggiore of Italy, and Asian champions Bangkok Glass of Thailand. 

Local volleyball fans, on the other hand, can look forward to the performance of the host nation’s All-Star team, which will comprise of stars from the Philippine Super Liga. 

The additional four teams will be distributed via wild cards.

Source: http://www.fivb.com/en/about/news/philippines-to-host-its-first-ever-womens-club?id=60478

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