Obiena faces powerhouse field

A powerhouse field featuring some of the finest vaulters in the world will be coming to Manila to challenge world No. 7 Ernest John Obiena in the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge on 20 and 21 September at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

World No. 5 Ersu Sasma of Turkey, Menno Vloon of Netherlands, Thibaut Collet of France, and Ben Broeders of Belgium have confirmed their participation in this prestigious spectacle, where athletes will vault against the beautiful backdrop of the Makati skyline.

Sasma is considered as a serious threat to Obiena’s homestand. Aside from being the fifth-best in the world behind world record holder Armand Duplantis, Emmanouil Karalis, Sem Kendricks and Kurtis Marschall, the 25-year-old from Mersin is a bronze medalist in the European Games who finished in the top eight in the Paris Olympics and World Championships.

An overwhelming victory in Makati will not only give him a mental edge over the Asian record holder from the Philippines but will also cement his claim as one of the best young vaulters in the world.

Also tipped to draw a lot of attention are Vloon, Collet and Broeders.

The 31-year-old Vloon is a European indoor champion while Collet and Broeders figured prominently in major international circuits the European Championship and World Indoor Championships, prompting Obiena to deliver his best if he doesn’t want to get embarrassed in front of his countrymen.

“It has been my lifelong dream to mount a world-class sporting event in my homeland to showcase Filipino talent and make the nation proud,” said Obiena, who slid from No. 3 to No. 7 in the world ranking after skipping some crucial events.

“Now, it’s finally happening. I call on my kababayans (compatriots) to come together and support this once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Although Olympic medalists like Duplantis, Karalis and Kendricks will not be around as they are expected to rest following a grueling campaign in the 2025 World Athletics Championships from 13 to 21 September in Tokyo, the event organized by Ayala Corporation will still not lack excitement and star power.

After all, also confirmed to see action to give Obiena a run for his money are American champion Austin Miller, former World Championships silver medalist Piotr Lisek of Poland, European Championships bronze medalist Oleg Zernikel of Germany, and Pan-American Games winner Matt Ludwig of the United States.

The event will be free to the public with tickets to be given away via raffle.