EJ Obiena will miss the 2022 IAAF World Athletics Indoor Championships slated on March 18 to 20 in Belgrade, Serbia, after failing to get an endorsement from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA).
Obiena sadly announced the development on his Facebook page.
“I have not been endorsed for the Worlds,” he lamented. “Registration is now closed. I won’t be attending.
“I am the only top-ranked vaulter not participating.”
Obiena qualified for the global meet after hitting the 5.81-meter mark during the Orlen Cup 2022.
Photo from Orlen Copernicus Cup
The University of Santo Tomas product is currently ranked no. 5 in the world.
“If the country was ever put first, I should be headed to Belgrade now. But I am not.
“I will watch it on TV like millions of others. I will see other nations take the medal that the Philippines should be winning,” he continued.
Obiena also claimed that he is in the best shape to compete in the said tournament after securing back-to-back gold medal victories in the Orlen Cup and Orlen Cornicus Cup held last February in Poland.
“I am in prime physical and mental condition. I am ready to be the first Philippine HOME-GROWN athlete to compete in the Worlds, and I am ready to compete and bring home a medal,” he lamented.
Despite getting a non-endorsement from PATAFA, Obiena’s name was still formally included by the Philippine Olympic Committee for the lineup in the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games.
For Obiena, this is not just a loss for him but also for the country, as only a few Filipino tracksters have competed in this level of competition.
“I shed a tear now with a heavy heart, but not just for myself. I shed a tear for my country. We had a chance to show the world our greatness. And we lost it.”
