AFTER weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, another Rio Olympian is coming to Davao City.
Cebuana marathoner Mary Joy Tabal will hold a free clinic to participants of the third leg of the 2016-2017 Smart Blue Knights Track League Season 3-PSC Weekly Relays that expects some 80 participants at the Ateneo de Davao University Fr. Martinez Sports Complex track oval in Matina, Davao City Saturday, September 17.
Track league director and ADDU athletics coach Airnel Abarra bared this during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao Thursday, September 15.
Tabal and her coach Philip John Dueñas will arrive today.
Abarra said the country's first Olympian marathoner will give an inspirational message in the opener of the trackfest in the morning then will conduct a running clinic and skills sharing with Dueñas in the afternoon.
"Tabal will also run one event para ma-try ng mga participants to run with her," Abarra said.
Last weekend, Tabal and Dueñas mentored Guba Elementary School students in their debut in the Milo Little Olympics Visayas leg track and field tournament.
Tabal, in a Motor Ace Philippines press statement, said: "I would like to share to Davao athletes how I started and my experiences that eventually led me to the Olympics."
Abarra added that runners of member-schools of the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (Dacs) members will also participate in the event including the Our Lady of Fatima Acadamy (Olfa), Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC), Anthony and Cavanis Elementary School, St. Paul College of Davao and St. Joseph's College of Toril.
Participants of the past two legs will also see action.
Palarong Pambansa 2016 double gold medalist Mea Gey Niñura was also invited but she begged off due to conflict of schedules.
The first conference finals of the league is slated in October at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City.
Abarra thanked Motor Ace Philippines, Smart, Creating Keepsakes Cafe, Gintong Saging, Piccola Bakeshoppe, and ADDU track and field parents group.
Motor Ace Philippines is a company that is in the business of selling multi-brand motorcycles all over the Philippines. They also have branches in Davao City and all over Mindanao. It is the company that sent Tabal to her trainings abroad and who helped her join the Scotiabank Marathon in Canada, where she made the Olympic grade. (ABM)