Only a month ago, Ernest John Obiena wasn’t even included in the list of Filipino athletes set to play in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Now, he is the Philippines’ flag bearer in the parade of nations of the biennial meet on May 12 at the MNy Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.
No less than Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, fully supports Obiena, saying that her fellow Tokyo Olympian pole vaulter is the “story of every Filipino athlete who fights to bring home pride and glory to the country.”
“I’m very happy to see EJ as our flag bearer for Team Philippines,” said Diaz, who, like Obiena, will defend her weightlifting gold medal in the postponed Games from last year. “I’m happy for him and the rest of the Philippine delegation. I will support him.”
Diaz and Obiena could be holding the country’s colors together in the parade of nations, but the biennial meet allows only one athlete to be bestowed with the honor.
“There could only be one flag bearer for each country. We nominated Hidilyn and EJ, but it was turned down,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. “Like Hidilyn, EJ has all the qualifications to be our flag bearer.”
Obiena, who finally patched up his differences with his mother federation —the Philippines Athletics Track and Field Association—which paved the way for his inclusion in the national delegation, is expected to retain his SEA Games gold.
He won pole vault title in the 2019 Philippine Games with a commanding leap of 5.45 meters and since then, has set the bar higher to a new Asian men’s record of 5.93 meters he set last year in Innsbruck, Austria, last year.“It’s an honor,” Obiena said. “I was heading home after training here in Formia [Italy] when I received the message.”
As flag bearer, a big responsibility comes with the honor. But Obiena said he’s ready for the challenge.
“All I can do for now is to train harder and be better, and smarter,” the 26-year-old Obiena said. “I really want to defend my SEA Games title.”
The 6’2” pole vaulter is one of 656 athletes who will be defending the country’s grip of the overall championship in the Games that Vietnam is hosting for only the second time since 2003.
The hosts programmed 40 sports—the Philippines is competing in 39 of them—which they intend to dominate. But Tolentino is undaunted.
“We are fielding a fighting team,” Tolentino said.
Team Philippines will fly to Vietnam in batches with the main bulk set to leave on May 10, two days before the opening ceremony. The Games end on May 23.