EJ Obiena to build pole vaulting facilities in provinces: 'The Philippines being a global force in pole vault doesn't end with me'
EJ Obiena announced the opening of a pole vaulting facility in Ilocos Norte, the first of many places he aims to build in provinces to train future generations of Filipino pole vaulters for the global stage.
In a Facebook post on Nov. 11, the athlete said that while he has hopes of bringing home an Olympic medal for the Philippines, he has a bigger dream.
"My dream is, the Philippines being a global force in pole vault doesn't end with me," he said. "It continues on for generations to follow. And I can help make this happen by raising money for new facilities in the provinces."
The 28-year-old said the first new facility will be commissioned with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 22 at Marcos Stadium in Laoag.
The ribbon cutting, Obiena said, will be followed by a coaching clinic and pole vault seminar "to kick start and create a sustainable program for the region."
He noted that pole vaulting is an Olympic sport Filipinos can excel. "We can be globally competitive year after year," he emphasized.
To achieve it, Obiena said facilities in "our far-ranging country" are needed, as Filipinos have "the talent and the dedication."
He then gave a shoutout to Hokket delos Santos of Isabela, a 20-year-old pole vaulter who won silver in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam. "What if he did not have access to the facility?" Obiena said of Delos Santos. "[We] would not have won that medal."
"I am so excited for this and make the sport more accessible to our young Filipino talent," he added.
Obiena is the world's No. 4 in men's pole vault. He placed fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Earlier this year, he was named Athlete of the Year by the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association.
The pole vaulter holds the Asian record, 6.00m, which he cleared at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.