By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
EJ Obiena was humbled and inspired even more after the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) bestowed him the Athlete of the Year award Monday night, Jan. 29, at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
Appearing virtually through a Zoom call all the way from Italy where he currently trains, the world No. 2 pole vaulter said the award means he is doing something right in the profession he chose.
“I stand here, truly humbled by this award, arguably the most prestigious award any Filipino athlete can get, an award I’ve dreamed of way back in 2017, my first PSA Awards Night,” Obiena said.
“This award suggests perhaps, in some degree, that I’ve been successful with my mission, not in pole vaulting, but in leveraging my craft to help shape a better Philippines, and I would say, a stronger Philippines,” he added.
His parents, Emerson and Jeanette Obiena, received the award on his behalf.
Obiena said he had some realizations about his career as an athlete.
“I’m only a guy who jumps over a bar with a pole,” he admitted. “But I realized, it’s not the question of what we do, but how we leverage that and how we create positive change. That’s always been an ulterior focus of mine.”
Obiena has been giving honor to the country with numerous accolades, but soared to greater heights last year when he cleared the elusive 6.00-meter mark — a feat that only 28 pole vaulters have achieved so far.
Not only he became the first Asian to do so, but the Tondo native did it twice — at the Bergen Jump Challenger in Norway in June where clinched the gold medal and at the World Athletics Championship in Hungary in August where he snared the historic silver.
Apart from these, Obiena also became the first Filipino to punch a ticket to this year’s Paris Olympics while dominating regional competitions such as the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, the Asian Championships in Thailand and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Still, he aims to achieve more.
“The dream continues,” Obiena said.
“It’s an important year for me, and for all athletes because it’s an Olympic year, and so sacrifices have to be made,” he added.
Also sharing the podium in the annual awards night were Gilas Pilipinas (President’s Award) for winning the Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal for the first time since 1962, jiu-jitsu athletes Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez for winning Asian Games gold medals, cue artists Johann Chua and James for delivering the country its fourth World Cup of Pool crown, and national sports federations Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines.
Also honored were San Miguel Corp. chief Ramon S. Ang and MVP Group boss Manny V. Pangilinan as Executives of the Year, as well as gold medalists from the SEAG, Asian Games, ASEAN Para Games and Asian Para Games.
