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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Obiena plays hero to young Tuguegarao pole vaulters

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PHNOM PENH—Not all heroes wear capes.

One of them leaps over things in order to win shiny things. He then auctions off some of his things to help out less-fortunate folks do their thing.

A hero in the eyes of many young and budding athletes, superstar pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena leaped to a record-smashing 5.65 meters to claim a shimmering third straight gold at the rain-drenched Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh on Monday.

Ernest John Obiena receives his gold medal from POC chief Abraham Tolentino.

Like in his past wins that began in the 2019 edition of the games in Manila, Obiena obliterated the field with another masterclass pole-vaulting, the pouring rain notwithstanding.

After an hourlong delay of the proceedings due to the heavy downpour, Obiena couldn’t be stopped from four successful leaps of 5.4, 5.55, 5.60 and then at 5.65 meters to the wild celebration of a couple of national team members and coaches, and a handful of Filipino supporters at the grandstand.

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The no. 3-ranked pole vaulter in the world, with a career best 5.94, said he could have aimed for a higher mark, but was already exhausted from the long wait and the slippery ground and pole.

“Man, I’m tired. If I have more energy, maybe I should have, I could have (gone higher), but it’s early in the season. I’m still panting, pagod na tayo,” said Obiena of his performance that was already so dominant, the second and third placers from Thailand could only manage an error-filled 5.2 meters.

The masterpiece on the field was all Obiena needed to catch the world’s attention on what he would do next off it—give the blessings back.

Obiena displays the shoes he is auctioning off.

When asked what’s next in his journey, he could have itemized the next tournaments he planned to join. Instead, he first took time to tell the world that he was auctioning off the shoes he wore at the games to raise funds for Filipino kids to fulfill their dream of becoming pole vaulters someday.

“I’m auctioning the spikes. It’s gonna be auctioned to raise some funds to buy some pit. You know, we need more pole vaulters in the Philippines. I want to do that. This (shoes) is a special one, with the Philippine flag and my logo. If anyone is listening, it’s up for grabs, all the money and proceeds will go to the buying of a new pole vault pit,” said Obiena, in reaction to a social media post by young Tuguegarao vaulters using a fiber glass pole and sawdust as landing pit, and then teasing their hero “idol, baka naman.”

The message was sent loud and clear, and Obiena responded. So that someday, they can leap over things, in order to win shiny, shimmering things.

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