Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena will not compete in the upcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China this month after failing to meet the 5.85-meter qualification mark before the 9 March deadline.

Obiena said they haven't found a tournament within the time period where he would be able to get over the required height.

The 29-year-old Asian Games champion last competed in the ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland last 16 February where he tallied 5.80m for the gold medal.

"Even though there is still time to qualify for the World Indoor Championships, there are no more competitions left for me to participate. The last competition was on the 16th of February in Torun, Poland and the next one that I got is Mondo Classic on the 13th of March, which is already outside the qualification period," Obiena said.

"I can promise you all that my team and I have scoured the calendar for possible competitions but no luck. With this I would inevitably miss the championships."

Despite missing out on competing in the World Athletics Indoor Championships, where he finished in ninth place last year, Obiena will be competing in the Mondo Classic in Uppsala, Sweden to face reigning world champion and home bet Armand Duplantis.

This will be the first time Obiena will face Duplantis since the Paris Olympics last August.