Pinagpapaliwanag ng PATAFA si Cray

MANILA, Philippines — Binigyan ni Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) sina Fil-Americans Eric Cray at Trenten Beram ng 10 araw para magpaliwanag kung bakit hindi sila nakasali sa 2018 Korean Open noong nakaraang linggo.

Ayon sa coach ni Cray, mas inuna ng Southeast Asian Games gold medalist ang kumayod para sa kanyang asawa at apat na anak kesa lumahok sa natu-rang athletics event.

“We will not tole-rate any kind of misconduct,” sabi ni Juico, dating secretary of Agrarian Reform at dean ng Graduate Studies of De La Salle University. “That’s why we have created a special committee that is tasked to hear his side and investigate on what happened. We’re giving him 10 days -- or until the submission of final lineup to the organizers on June 30 -- to explain. If we find his explanation unacceptable, we have no choice but to come up with discipli-nary sanction.”

Sa kabila ng pagtatrabaho ay patuloy ang pag-eensayo ni Cray, tumatanggap ngayon ng monthly allowance na P27,000 mula sa dating P40,000 galing sa Philippine Sports Commission.

Sinabi naman ng ama ni Beram na ang Fil-Am mismo ang nagbabayad ng kanyang sariling coach at nutritionist.

“He said he’s working hard in the States together with his personal coach and strength and conditioning coach,” sabi pa ni Juico na kinausap ang tatay ni Beram na si Glen, via video conference noong Miyerkules ng gabi.

“Still, we will assess him and Cray before coming up with a decision. Anyway, we still have nine days to change our Asian Games roster if ever. We will not be afraid to crack the whip if ever somebody displays misconduct that affects the team and its preparation for a major tournament.”

Nauna nang sumulat sina Cray at Beram sa PATAFA at humingi ng paumanhin sa hindi nila pagsali dahil diumano sa miscommunication.

Ngunit hindi ito katanggap-tanggap kay athletics president Phi-lip Ella Juico.

Kasama dapat sina Cray at Beram nina Anfernee Lopena at Clinton Bautista sa pagtakbo sa men’s 4x100-meter relay para maitaas pa lalo ang kanilang rankings sa International Amateur Athletics Fe-deration (IAAF).

Sina Cray at Beram ang inaasahang magbibigay sa bansa ng gold medal sa darating na 2018 Asian Games sa Palembang at Jakarta, Indonesia sa Agosto.

Paiigtingin na ng Patafa ang training ng mga atleta sa mga susunod na linggo kasama si Italian coach Carlo Buzzichelli.