Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14) — Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena shared how he is picking up the pieces days after finding out he can’t compete in the World Indoor Championships due to his row with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.
Obiena, the world No. 5 in the men’s pole vault rankings, said missing the World Athletics Indoor Championships slated March 18-20 at Belgrade, Serbia even though he qualified for the competition could adversely affect his ranking.
“For sure there’s no chance of me winning a medal anymore. But what we actually already lost? The points that’s just taking part in that competition,” he told CNN Philippines.
The country’s pride added, “That would probably provide me an extra 100 to 180, even 200 points if I win the competition so you know, that’s definitely gonna be affecting the rankings going in. That’s something that we lost and that’s something that would never be, will not able to recover. That’s a material thing that we lost.”
PATAFA did not endorse Obiena’s participation in major tournaments this year — including the World Athletics Indoor Championships, 31st Southeast Asian Games in May in Vietnam, World Pole Vault Championships in July, and 19th Asian Games in September in Hangzhou, China.
The athlete admitted that he is struggling to understand the situation.
“I was sad and angry. I think that was the two most prominent emotions that I was having. It was a little bit unreasonable from time to time and yeah. I was a bit erratic. I cannot make sense out of it,” he said. “I’m trying to be in good shape and I’m trying to work a little bit harder and hopefully make history. I want to compete but right now, I’m just you know, finding that ‘why’ and finding that ray of hope. I’m an athlete and hopefully I get to do my thing and represent the country in these championships.”
PATAFA and Obiena are currently undergoing a mediation process after the national athletics federation accused the star pole vaulter of embezzling funds when he allegedly failed to pay over ₱4.8 million in coaching fees of Ukrainian mentor Vitaly Petrov. Obiena admitted that he made late payments to the coach but said this is only due to his commitments as an athlete.
