EJ Obiena launches pole vault facility in Ilocos Norte

EJ Obiena is making steps to make his dream for Philippine pole vault a reality.

The Philippine ace has announced the launch of a pole vault facility he helped build at the Marcos Stadium in Laoag, Ilocos Norte as he looks forward to developing more Filipino pole vaulters in the country.

Obiena shared that there's a scheduled ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 22 to mark the beginning of one of his longtime dreams.

"My dream is, the Philippines being a global force in pole vault doesn't end with me," Obiena said in an Instagram post on late Monday.

"It continues on for generations to follow. And I can help make this happen by raising money for new facilities in the provinces.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ernest Obiena (@ernestobienapv)

Aside from the opening of the facility, the two-time Olympian added that he will personally fly in to attend the event and will hold a coaching clinic and a pole vault seminar to further boost the program in the region.

Obiena has proven to be a pole vault icon not only in the local scene, but on the international stage as well after having reached several tournaments like the Olympics, Asian Games, and the SEA Games.

The multi-titled athlete, though, stressed he has an even bigger goal: to see more pole vaulters follow in his footsteps.

"I believe this is an Olympic sport Filipinos can excel in. We can be globally competitive year after year. To achieve this, we need facilities around our far-ranging country. We have the talent and dedication."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News