In a recent development, the president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, Terry Capistrano, has taken steps to support Paris Olympics medal hopeful EJ Obiena. Obiena has faced setbacks in the form of two broken poles in the past weeks, affecting his performance in competitions.
PATAFA secretary-general Jasper Tanhueco confirmed that Capistrano has ordered two sets of new poles to be delivered to Obiena. The athlete struggled in the Bauhaus-Galan Wanda Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden, finishing seventh out of eight participants after clearing just 5.70 meters on borrowed poles.
Despite the challenges, Obiena expressed gratitude on his social media account, thanking his fellow athletes for lending him the equipment to compete in the event. Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis dominated the competition with a six-meter jump, while American athletes Sam Kendricks and KC Lightfoot took the silver and bronze, respectively.
