Showtime for Obiena
HANGZHOU — It’s time to shine.
With his countrymen and great credentials behind him, EJ Obiena sees action in the final of men’s pole vault Saturday night hoping to secure the first gold medal for Team Philippines in the 19th Asian Games here.
“My aim is to win. That’s the goal,” said Obiena.
The 27-year-old has raised the bar so high on the Asian level that no one comes close to him from among the 11 other finalists who will march to the 80,800-seat Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium for the final scheduled at 7:05 p.m.
Obiena will carry a personal best and season best of 6.0 meters, which is the existing Asian record. No other Asian has breached the 6.0m mark, and Obiena is only the 28th in the world to clear the barrier.
Here in Hangzhou, the three men who can give Obiena a legitimate challenge are China’s Yao Jie (with a best of 5.82) and Huang Bokai (5.75) and Japan’s Seito Yamamoto, the reigning Asian Games champion with a season best of 5.40 meters.
Numbers don’t lie, and barring any misfortune, the 6-foot-2 Filipino, who has trained in Italy for over five years now, should go on and kiss the gold medal in front of the cameras.
“With good vibes, it’s sure for gold,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, well aware that Obiena had cleared the 6.0 mark twice this season..
“I’m counting on EJ,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann. Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano, for his part, said, “EJ will do what needs to be done.”
Obiena’s fellow athletes here and back home will also be cheering for him. They will keep their fingers crossed that the two-time champion in the Asian Championships and three-time winner in the Southeast Asian Games could provide the needed spark.
Team Philippines won another bronze medal yesterday in mixed doubles in tennis to somehow cushion the impact of boxer Nesthy Petecio’s painful loss in the women’s 57kg class.
Teen sensation Alex Eala, winner of the bronze in the individual play, had high hopes in her partnership with Francis Casey Alcantara. But they couldn’t get it done and took a 5-7, 3-6 loss to Liang En-Shuo and Huang Tsung-hao of
