DETERMINED to give the country yet another glory, Cebu’s heroine Mary Joy Tabal has shifted training to higher gear under the tutelage of Japanese coach Akio Usami.
The country’s top female marathoner wants no less than a gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be hosted by the Philippines on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 2019.
The 30-year-old Guba, Cebu-native arrived in Japan the other day to further her training within the premises of Nippon Science Sports University (NSSU).
“It’s the same facility and the same coaching staff,” Tabal told SunStar Cebu, referring to the NSSU’s staff who worked with her in her journey in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Tabal will carry the symbol of endurance when she defends her crown in the women’s 42-kilometer race in the regional biennial meet against the region’s best marathoners on Dec. 6.
Tabal’s long-time coach John Philip Dueñas said in a separate interview that the training in Japan will run from September to November. His ward will be back in the Cebu by the second week of November before flying to Clark, Pampanga, which will be the main venue for the SEA Games.
“My goal is to defend my title, nothing less than that. The time will follow depending on the situation of the race. I’m focused to get the gold medal again,” said the ace athlete of Motor Ace Racing Team Tabal.
One of the concerns of Tabal is the scheduled gun start time for the women’s marathon which is at 6:15 a.m. With the pace of the female runners, the course is set to be completed at around 9 a.m.
“If that is the final schedule, I have to anticipate heat since it’s in Clark and the course will be completed at around 9 a.m,” she said.
The women’s marathon will be the curtain-opener for the medal-rich track and field event. (RSC)