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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Obiena relishes winning gold on home soil, optimistic of local pole vaulters

Obiena relishes winning gold on home soil, optimistic of local pole vaulters

Published Sep 22, 2025 01:43 pm

At A Glance

  • But beyond his own triumph, Obiena took pride in seeing national champion Hokett Delos Santos gain firsthand experience competing alongside some of the world's top vaulters that mostly included Olympians.
EJ Obiena wins the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge. (Mark Balmores)
EJ Obiena wins the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge. (Mark Balmores)
For elite pole vaulter EJ Obiena, nothing beats winning gold on home soil, topping the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City over the weekend.
But beyond his own triumph, Obiena took pride in seeing national champion Hokett Delos Santos gain firsthand experience competing alongside some of the world’s top vaulters that mostly included Olympians.
“It’s a big opportunity for him, even if the result didn’t play out the way he wanted,” said Obiena, moments after edging out Frenchman Thibaut Collet on countback, with both clearing identical marks of 5.80 meters.
As far as Obiena was concerned, exposing athletes like Delos Santos to tournaments like this would be of great help to hone their skills.
Delos Santos won the National Pole Vault Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 20, that earned him a wildcard entry to the World Pole Vault Challenge. He failed to register a mark after unsuccessful attempts at 4.90m -- 0.10m lower than his winning mark in the local event.
“What our local athletes lack is these kinds of competitions,” said Obiena.
“This is bigger than the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games. This is world-class. He might have gotten intimidated, but you learn from experience like this. I believe this is just a start for him and I’m proud of him,” he added.
In fact, Obiena expressed strong optimism about Delos Santos and fellow local vaulter Elijah Cole, saying he would be willing to step aside at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December if either proves capable of winning the gold medal.
“Right now, it’s on the calendar. But if Hokett can win it and Elijah, I would love to have them really battle it out and have the experience of winning the SEA Games. We’ll see how the season is going,” he said.
Only two slots per nation are allocated in the SEAG. In the previous edition in Cambodia two years ago, Obiena, who eventually won the gold medal, competed with Cole.
Obiena and Delos Santos, meanwhile, made a 1-2 finish in the 2021 Hanoi edition.
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