EJ Obiena has been carrying a lot of weight on his young shoulders over the past few months.
Besides not getting funding to train and compete from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, his mother federation had also slapped cases on him and his family.
Still, he competes, saying that he jumps for the Philippines, not PATAFA.
But during the 2022 Perche Elite Tour in France, Obiena was also sporting the colors of another country in Ukraine.
After all, it is the home of his mentor and second father Vitaly Petrov.
“My heart and thoughts are with you Ukraine,” said Obiena, who was sporting blue and yellow baller bands during the competition that saw him break the national indoor record with a leap of 5.91m.
“Silence never helped the oppressed or the abused.”
Last week, Ukraine has been invaded by Russian forces, who are trying to annex the eastern European nation.
And definitely, like the majority of the world, Obiena is one with Ukraine in these trying times.
