Obiena saddened by PATAFA's non-endorsement as he loses World Indoor Championships berth
MANILA, Philippines — "Today, the country I love loses."
That was the opening of Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena's statement on Saturday after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) failed to endorse him to compete at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia next week.
Obiena would have been the first-ever homegrown Filipino athelte to compete in the biennial games, which serves as the global championship for athletics.
But because of PATAFA's non-endorsement, Obiena will not be eligible to compete for the country, and the World No. 5 pole vaulter will be the only top-ranked athlete not participating in the event.
Obiena slammed PATAFA, with whom he has been engaged in a spat with since late last year, for foregoing what could've been a golden chance for the Philippines in the competition.
"If country was ever put first, I should be headed to Belgrade now. But I am not. I will watch it on TV like millions of others," Obiena wrote on social media.
"I will see other nations take the medal that Philippines should be winning. I shed a tear now with a heavy heart, but not just for myself. I shed a tear for my country. We had a chance to show the world our greatness. And we lost it," he added.
Obiena's pole vault career has been in limbo since PATAFA dropped him from the national team pool and has thus cut him off of funding to join competitions.
However, with the help of sponsors and concerned individuals, Obiena has been able to attend some competitions.
He most recently broke his personal best and cleared a new national record in men's indoor pole vault with a 5.91m clearance at the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen France just last week.
Despite his controversy with PATAFA and a knee surgery in January, Obiena has continued to up the ante of his game, thus his qualification to the World Indoor Championships.
But Obiena will have to wait at least two more years for another crack at the elite competition due to PATAFA's non-endorsement.
Not only has PATAFA's continued spat with the pole vaulter affected the World Indoor Championships, but it also might hinder Obiena from defending his gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.
Though the Philippine Olympic Committee has promised Obiena their full backing, non-endorsement from PATAFA would still put his SEA Games bid in peril.
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