THE Philippine Olympic Committee confirmed on Tuesday the exclusion of EJ Obiena by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association from the roster it will send to the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in May.
In a statement, POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said that the incident was horrible. “I can only shake my head, he added.
Obiena, the reigning SEA Games champion, and the PATAFA have had a dispute for months now over allegations that Obiena misused funds provided by the sport’s national governing body.
Tolentino and other national officials had hoped the PATAFA, led by Philip Juico, would look past differences but this latest development proved them wrong.
“Barring serious injury, EJ will win the gold medal even blind folded in Hanoi,” Tolentino added.
“He’s not only the best in the SEA Games, but in the whole of Asia. Not to forget that he’s No. 5 in the world.”
Obiena’s name was not on the form containing entry by numbers, a document the PATAFA and 38 other national sports associations (NSAs) that will compete in Vietnam submitted to the POC.
“An NSA relentlessly sanctioning its No. 1 athlete—a guaranteed win and who knows a future world and Olympic champion—I just couldn’t find a logic,” Tolentino said.
The PATAFA has the second largest number of entries with 53 athletes and 17 officials, second only to esports (54 entries).
Obiena being out on the list meant he will also miss the World Indoor Championships scheduled March 18 to 20 in Belgrade because the World Athletics’ deadline of registration for qualified athletes was last Monday.
Photo courtesy EJ Obiena FB page
