MANILA, Philippines — World No. 3 pole vaulter EJ Obiena will not be able to compete in the upcoming Asian Indoor Athletics Championships slated to happen in Astana, Kazakhstan next week.
The 27-year-old won't make it in time for the tiff scheduled from February 10-12 due to concerns in logistics and financial woes, according to a social media post.
Obiena updated his supporters on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that there were some issues in bringing his poles to Kazhakstan, citing that all efforts have been exhausted to mend the problem.
"Despite huge efforts from everyone including my federation (PATAFA) and Mr. Capistrano, we are simply unable to get my poles to Astana, Kazakhstan. None of the airlines serving Astana will bring the poles," Obiena wrote.
"My mentor James Lafferty even worked with Pepsi Kazakhstan to drive the poles from Almaty to Astana. That didn’t work as it’s a [17-hour] drive. Most Asian pole vaulters I know have pulled out for the same reason. It’s a sad state when the best vaulters in Asia are excluded from competing in the biggest indoor championships in Asia," he added.
Compounding his problems are also "continuing financial issues".
According to Obiena, even with "issues of the past" having been resolved with his federation, he revealed that his team has not received their pay for over a year now.
"Payments are caught up in red tape. Unfortunately, some of my team are now threatening to leave Team Obiena. I cannot blame them. Who could work free for over a year? They have families to support and bills to pay. They can’t keep working for free," said Obiena.
"I can only hope this resolves soon. I am losing a team I desperately need. Nobody wins alone. It’s always have been a team effort," he added.
The Olympic pole vaulter, who has been on a recent tear in the 2023 indoor season, rued the missed chance to win a gold medal for the Philippines.
"Due to these two factors I shall be unable to compete in the Asian Indoor Championships. My heart is broken. It’s a missed opportunity for me to fight for Gold for Philippines," he said.
Still, Obiena looks ehad to the rest of the year and is shifting his focus to the next competitions.
"As the old song asks, “How do you mend a broken heart?” The answer is simple. I look ahead to upcoming competitions and I will continue to do my best for my country. That’s the solution and that’s all I can do," he said.
Most recently, Obiena won gold in the Orlen Cup in Poland with a 5.77m clearance.