Top bets Cray, Beram face possible ouster from Asiad athletics team

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am track stars Eric Shauwn Cray and Trenten Beram is facing the possibility of being slapped with sanctions or outright expulsion from the Philippine team after failing to see action in the Korean Open last week.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico said they are deeply looking into the matter as to why both Cray and Beram were no-shows in the Korea tilt, which was supposed to be one of the two meets lined up for athletes bound for the Asian Games in Indonesia.

Cray and Beram, gold medalists in the Southeast Asian Games last year, were scheduled to compete in the men’s 4x100m relay team with Clinton Bautista and Anfernee Lopena with hopes of getting the time would help qualify the squad to the Asiad.

“We’re gathering facts,” said Juico.

A source said the PATAFA has yet to make a final decision as to the fate of Cray and Beram as its executive committee is still finding solution to the impasse.

“Nothing final yet. The two (Cray and Beram) have an issue of non-compliance and were asked to explain,” said the source. “And then the PATAFA board will then deliberate about it and decide what to do.”

Cray and Beram were two of the eight “shoe-ins” in the quadrennial games for the national athletics team.

The others were decathlete Aries Toledo, long jumper Marestella Torres, triple jumper Harry Diones, marathoner Mary Joy Tabal and runner Marco Vilog, who have all made it to the squad for winning a gold or a silver in last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Cray is a two-time Olympian, three-time SEAG gold medal winner in the 400m hurdles, a 400m hurdles gold medalist in the 2017 Asian Championship, a silver medalist in the 60m run in the Asian Indoor in Turkmenistan last year and a bronze winner in the 60m in the 2016 Asian Indoor.

Beram, for his part, emerged the best performer for the country at the track in Kuala Lumpur as he captured the 200m and 400m golds.

If punished, the country will lose its best bets for a medal in athletics.

Curiously, Cray and Beram appeared in the Ayala Philippine Open in Ilagan City, Isabela early this month and competed in two events.

Beram took and the gold in the 200m while Cray the silver but the two along with Bautista and Lopena were disqualified in the 4x100m relay after Cray dropped the baton from first runner Lopena.