MANILA, Philippines — Trenten Beram will remain in the Asian Games-bound Philippine track and field team while fellow Fil-Am track star Eric Shaun Cray will have to find the right words to stay in the squad.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico cleared Beram for missing the Korean Open last week while giving Cray 10 days to explain his side to avoid the possibility of being slapped with sanctions or outright expulsion.
“He made the mistake of going in the Ayala Open in Ilagan, Isabela really tired because the US NCAA had just concluded during that time,” said Juico of Beram, the 200m and 400m gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year.
“He was really tired. He wasn’t able to return to compete in Korea. He just really can’t,” he added.
For Cray, the reigning SEAG 400m hurdles gold medal winner, he will have to come up with an explanation soon.
“They (PATAFA execom) gave him 10 days to respond why he didn’t show up in Korea,” said Juico.
While Beram cited fatigue as reason, Cray has allegedly skipped Korea to work and make ends meet.
“I heard he’s working. It might be because their monthly allowance was cut to P27,000 and he has a family to feed,” said Juico. “We have to find ways to make it work for him.”
Cray and Beram were to compete in the men’s 4x100m relay team with Clinton Bautista and Anfernee Lopena with hopes of getting the time that would help qualify them for the Asiad.