DESPITE competing with a “broken heart,” Ernest John Obiena jumped 5.87 meters yesterday (Wednesday night in Europe) to handily rule the men’s pole vault event of the Copernicus Cup at the Arena Torun in Torun, Poland.
Obiena took only four jumps to clinch his third gold medal of the European indoor season, four days after topping the Orlen Cup in the nearby Polish city of Lodz with a jump of 5.77 meters.
Dutchman Rutger Koppellar took the silver after clearing 5.82 meters, besting Belgian Ben Broeders and compatriot Menno Vloon, who finished third and fourth, respectively, after a countback.
Obiena’s latest win came a day after explaining on his official Facebook the reasons for his failure to compete in the Asian Indoor Track and Field Championships starting today in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In his post entitled “Mending a Broken Heart,” Obiena noted that aside from being unable to bring his poles to the Kazakh capital, he also revealed “continuing financial issues.”
“My team has not been paid now in over a year. Payments are caught up in red tape Unfortunately, some of my team (members) are now threatening to leave Team Obiena,” he revealed.
“They can’t keep working for free. I can only hope this (sic) resolves soon. I am losing a team I desperately needs. Nobody wins alone. It’s always a team effort,” Obiena stressed.
Informed of the athlete’s plight, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, who took over the helm of the PSC last Jan. 1, issued a statement late Wednesday that he was addressing the issue immediately.
“In light of the recent statement of Mr. Ernest John Obiena posted on his social media account, I immediately communicated with him and made internal actions in the PSC,” Bachmann said in a statement.
“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. We continue to give the best support we can to our elite athletes,” he added.
Obiena began his attempts at 5.62 meters, kipped 5.67 and 5.72 meters, then cleared 5.77 meters on his first jump. He nailed the gold on his second jump at 5.87 meters.
