PATAFA rallies behind Obiena

The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) rallies behind Ernest John Obiena and his decision of shutting down his campaign in the indoor season after failing to qualify in the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

PATAFA secretary general Jasper Tanhueco told DAILY TRIBUNE that they are ready to lend Obiena a helping hand while he is training in Europe in preparation for the grueling outdoor season, where he is expected to compete in the Diamond League, World Athletics Championships and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

The Filipino pole vault sensation announced late Tuesday (Manila time) that he will be ending his indoor season earlier than usual as due to lack of tournaments that he can use as springboard for the World Athletics Indoor Championships set on 21 to 23 March in China.

The World Athletics, after all, set a deadline of 9 March for all athletes to secure their respective spots in the prestigious world meet.

Tanhueco said they are backing Obiena’s decision and expects him to bounce back in his outdoor campaign.

“In light of the challenges he faced, including the recovery from injury, I know his team did his best, it was best to prioritize his health and long-term performance. There are still a lot of major competitions for this year: the Asian Championships, the World Athletics Championships and the SEA (Southeast Asian) Games,” Tanhueco said.

“Rest assured, President Terry (Capistrano) and the entire PATAFA are fully supportive of EJ, we are in close contact with him and confident that he will return stronger this year.”

Obiena came close to qualifying for the World Athletics Indoor Championships last February.

The 29-year-old pole vaulter competed in the ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland and won the gold medal after clearing 5.80 meters. He tried to go for the qualifying mark of 5.85m but failed in three attempts.

“I am not happy with the result, though. I needed to jump 5.85 to qualify for the World Indoor Championships,” Obiena said after his win in the Polish tilt.

“I stopped competing last year after the Olympics and I do not have a qualifying mark. For us Asians, the indoor qualifying window is short as we do not have national indoor championships. I am not sure if I get any more chances before the end of the qualifying period.”

The ORLEN Cup turned out to be Obiena’s final chance to make it to the World Indoor Championships as he couldn’t find a tournament where he could hit the mark.

Obiena will miss the chance to redeem himself from last year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow after he finished in ninth place after clearing 5.65m.

Still, Obiena needs to be at his best for the outdoor season as he is expected to be a marked man in the Diamond League, where he will face a stellar field led by world record-holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.

He will also vie in the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea from 27 to 31 May and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from 13 to 21 September, where he looks to upgrade from his last year’s silver-medal finish.

To cap the year, Obiena will defend his gold medal in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand from 9 to 20 December.

Obiena said he will use the extended time to stay sharp for his campaign in the outdoor season.

“The indoor season is always a backseat to the outdoor season. I will hence prioritize and prepare for the upcoming outdoor competitions,” Obiena said.

“This is when I would represent the country in the World Championships, Asian Championships and SEA Games. The key is to go into the outdoor season healthy and ready to compete at the highest level. It is also important to defend what I have already achieved in these championships.”