EJ Obiena now has his sights set on another busy season ahead following a successful knee operation in Germany.
The Filipino pole vault star had his left meniscus repaired. Doctors had also removed the screw from an ACL reconstruction in 2017.
“Surgery was successful,” he wrote on his official Facebook page. “They have cleaned the meniscus and have removed the screw on my knee from the ACL reconstruction back in 2017 as the bone graft has fully solidified.”
The Olympian is now targeting the Init Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany on January 28 — his first tournament this 2022.
“It shouldn’t affect my recovery and we’re still on and aiming for the 28th of January competition,” he wrote in the post that’s flooded with messages of support.
Obiena is expected to have a grueling year ahead, which includes defending his Southeast Asian Games crown in Hanoi and the Asian Games in China.
The 26-year-old also expressed gratitude to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair Butch Ramirez for the financial aid coming his way for the surgery.
Ramirez announced during a guest appearance in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum webcast Tuesday that the agency is set to give Obiena assistance even if he has yet to complete his liquidation report.
Obiena is still in the midst of a funding row with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) for nearly two months now, although the PSC is set to mediate between the two sides with the help of experts.
“Thank you very much for everyone who helped and supported me to make this surgery possible as early as yesterday,” he wrote.
“I am also thankful for Chairman Butch Ramirez announcing yesterday that funds for my surgery are available,” he said. “I may be able to use this money once available to me to reimburse the advances of good samaritans.
“My most immediate task is to get healthy and get back on track so that I can compete again for the country. Everything else is priority number 2. Time for work to be done!!!”
