Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will bring in new poles and additional manpower support when he competes abroad in the coming months in his preparation for the 2022 Paris Olympics.
The 27-year-old Obiena will have all his needs addressed after overwhelming support poured from his alma mater family.
Alumni from Chiang Kai Shek College, the school where he attended grade school and high school, and generous businessmen came in with a pledge totaling P10 million to support his preparation for the quadrennial meet next year.
“Now I can bring a little more luggage, (I) will be able to travel with a whole team. These are the things that will help me, moving forward,” said Obiena during a gathering in his honor at the CKSC main campus on Friday.
Obiena’s visit came days after he delivered the first gold medal for the Philippines in the 19th Asian Games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China last Saturday.
“The warm welcome is enough for today, having given enough support to continue training and prepare for the Olympics,” said Obiena, who will leave for Formia, Italy on Oct. 15 to prepare for the Paris Games.
Obiena, the world no. 2 pole vaulter, grabbed the gold in the Asiad after jumping to a meet record of 5.90 meters, ending the country’s 29-year medal and 37-year gold drought in athletics.
“We are prepared to support him in his training and participation for the Paris Olympics in 10 months. We have fund-raising for him. It’s voluntary, and anyone who would like to support him can do so, voluntarily,” said Johnson Tan, CKSC board of trustees.
Members of the alumni initially pledged P5 million to Obiena, and then he got an additional P3 million in funding from the Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Oishi snack food products owner Carlos Chan offered P1 million, as did Kuan Chou family association head Anson Tan with another P1-million.
Obiena could get a total of P13 million, with P2 million more coming from the government in the form of incentives and a P1 million cash gift from the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The last Filipino athlete to win a medal in any Asiad athletics event before Obiena was Elma Muros, who snared a bronze in the women’s long jump in the 1994 Asiad.