Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday, March 14 expressed his dismay that national pole vaulter and Olympian Ernest John “EJ” Obiena was prevented from participating in the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia this month.
Obiena qualified for the World Indoors after his gold-medal performance in the Orlen Cup in Poland last February.
However, Obiena now missed the chance to compete there after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), with whom the pole vaulter has an ongoing rift, refused to endorse him.
“Nakakalungkot na dahil sa bangayan, nasayang ang pagkakataong mabigyan muli ng karangalan ang ating bansa sa larangan ng sports (It is sad that because of the rift, the country will not reap honors in the field of sports),’’ Go said in a statement.
“What has now happened to our battle cry ‘We win as one’ if we could not even resolve issues as one and unite and support our athletes as one people, as one nation?” Go, chairman of the Senate sports committee, lamented.
Last February 7, Go led the joint hearing of the Senate committees on sports and finance regarding the rift and encouraged Obiena and PATAFA to participate in the mediation process.
“Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Sports, nagpatawag na po tayo ng hearing noong February 7 kung saan nahimok natin ang PATAFA at si EJ Obiena na mag-usap at pumayag na lumahok muli sa mediation process (As chairman of the Senate sports committee, I called for a hearing last February 7 where we asked PATAFA and Obiena to talk and they agreed that they enter into a mediation process). Inatasan natin ang Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) para pangunahan ito bilang pagganap sa kanilang mandato (We asked the Philippine Sports Commission) to lead in the mediation which is based on its mandate),” the senator from Davao noted.
“Dahil ongoing pa ang mediation process, patuloy akong nananawagan sa PSC at sa dalawang panig na magusap at bilisan ang pagresolba ng gusot na ito (Because the mediation process is still on going, I continue to appeal to the PSC and for the two sides to talk and accelerate the resolution of their rift)). Ang kooperasyon ninyo ang kailangan para maayos ang lahat for the sake of our country (We need your cooperation so that the rift would be resolved for the sake of the country). Magkaisa po tayo at sana ay walang pulitika sa sports (We should be united and there should be no sports politics),” he stressed.
Go emphasized the need for unity among relevant agencies and organizations to avoid similar conflicts in the future and to better promote the welfare of Filipino athletes.
Acknowledging the hardships that athletes have to endure to bring pride to the country, Go also vowed to remain steadfast in supporting initiatives that would boost the country's sports development programs.
Go earlier authored and co-sponsored Republic Act (RA) 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports (NAS) at the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac to provide education and training for young aspiring athletes.