GENNAH Malapit of Calabarzon threw 45.60 meters, easily good for the gold medal in the javelin throw girls secondary event yesterday at the PhilSports Track and Oval in Pasig.
But she was later declared as ineligible in the 63rd Palarong Pambansa hosted by Marikina.
Malapit, 16, won a silver medal in the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games last May with a throw of 49.55 meters, finishing behind Thailand’s Jariya Wichaidit.
But she was ruled ineligible based on Section 6 of the Department of Education’s Conduct of the Palarong Pambansa, which says that athletes who have donned the country’s colors in the SEA Games, Asian Youth Games, Asian Games and/or the Olympics are not qualified to compete.
Malapit’s curious case was attributed to clerical error. Maybe confusion and miscommunication.
Her name was included in the qualifiers’ list and she was called to compete. Because she is based at the venue as a member of the national team, she gamely showed up, only to be disqualified later.
Malapit gamely accepted her fate, saying: Nakakapanghinayang din po kasi kahit paano, masasabi ko naman na… hindi naman ako nag-e-expect na makakakuha ng medal, kahit bronze lang po, silver,” Malapit said.
“Sayang pa rin po kung makakapag-ambag sana ako sa region namin. Sayang din po iyong opportunity na makasama ko iyong mga kalaban ko,” she added.
“Nakakapanghinayang kasi Palaro pa rin po iyan,” she said. “Marami pong naghahangad na makapunta rito, and ako po nandito na, hindi pa rin nakalaro. It breaks my heart.”
