EJ prevails through adversity

• Published date: 09 February 2023
• Publication title: Business Mirror

ERNEST JOHN 'EJ' OBIENA retained his gold medal at the Copernicus Cup in Torun on Thursday to go 5-for-5 in podium finishes in the indoor pole vault season.

Distractions? Obiena showed he has mastered the skill of clearing his mind of negatives in all of his five competitions so far this season-he aired on Wednesday his predicaments of being unable to compete in the Asian indoor championships and his team, including himself, still waiting for financial support from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

'I am proud of EJ [Obiena],' Jim Lafferty, Obiena's personal adviser, told BusinessMirror on Thursday. 'If ever there's an individual so strong that he consistently wins through adversity, it's EJ.'

Obiena titled his Facebook post on Wednesday 'How can you mend a broken Heart?' as he lamented a missed opportunity at the Asian indoors because there are no airlines which can accommodate pole vaults to and from Astana.

But he pinched the PSC leadership in the same post saying that his team, aptly called Team Obiena, 'has not been paid now in over a year.'

'Payments are caught up in red tape,' he said in the post. 'Unfortunately, some [members] of my team are now threatening to leave Team Obiena. I cannot blame them. Who could work free for over a year? They have families to support and bills to pay. They can't keep working for free.'

PSC chairman Richard Bachmann, who has warmed his seat at the agency for five weeks, was quick to respond through a media statement minutes after Obiena's social media post.

'I immediately communicated with him and made internal actions in the PSC,' Bachmann said. 'I also received communication on this matter from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association [PATAFA] and will continue to speed things up to help their national sports association and Mr. Obiena.'

Obiena has indeed already psyched himself into a world-class athlete-a professional at what...