MANILA, September 14 ------ EJ Obiena is confident that the Philippines will be able to produce another Filipino pole vault star. Obiena, who is currently the world's No.3 pole vaulter, is advocating for increased interest in his sport, saying that Filipinos have the physique and athleticism necessary to excel in it. "This is a high time not just for my sport but for all the sports. I think there's an all-time [high in] interest, and I really think we need to invest. What I mean by that is make it accessible to everyone who wants to do it," Obiena said during the signing of a contract with a popular chocolate sports drink in Pasig City.
To help this, the two-time Olympian is hoping for the government to not only put more spotlight on it but more importantly, give pole vault more financial support. "I think the agencies responsible for [grassroots developments] should take advantage of this interest of the next generation of athletes to try different sports," he said.
This, in turn, would eventually be helpful to the promising prospects who are currently starting their own pole vault journeys according to EJ. "Right now, we have Hokett Delos Santos who's already a silver medalist in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, so there's already that 'next generation'. We shouldn't wait until I can barely do it. We should start now," Obiena said.
Meanwhile, despite one of Obiena's initiatives to boost the sport here — the pole vault event which was supposed to feature the world's best — being canceled, EJ assured that it will still happen in the future. "For sure, we'll make it happen for sure," said the 2024 Paris Olympic Games fourth-placer.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
Comments