President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday met with World No. 3 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena at Malacañan Palace in Manila.
Several photos of Obiena’s courtesy call on Marcos were shared on the President’s official Facebook page.
Based on the photos, Marcos was seen awarding a medal to Obiena and delivering a speech.
Malacañang has yet to release additional details on their meeting.
In a short video clip uploaded on state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), Marcos thanked Obiena for his “greatest” performance as a Filipino athlete.
“Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng iyong ginawa, sa dangal na idinala mo sa iyong bansa (We are grateful to you for bringing pride to the country). I think that is the greatest tribute that you can give, the greatest service as you are an athlete now — that [what] you can give to our country is to bring honor to the Philippines,” Marcos told Obiena.
Marcos also vowed to extend necessary assistance to Obiena as the latter prepares for Paris 2024 Olympics.
“We look forward to the games in Paris, I hope you do well. If there’s anything that we can do to help you na maging mas maganda ang inyong resulta, at mas maganda maging training lahat ng ano sabihin ninyo sa akin (to get a better training, just tell me),” he said. “So, thank you very much and I congratulate not only you but also those of you who have supported our champion.”
In a Twitter post, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson Noli Eala said Marcos, during the courtesy call, issued a directive to ensure the welfare of Filipino athletes and provide them with the necessary support.
“President @bongbongmarcos is a true sportsman and supporter of sport. Warmly welcomed the @psc_gov and EJ Obiena. He gave very simple, clear instructions – let’s help our athletes because what they do is important to our nation. Thank you Mr. President,” Eala said.
On Tuesday, Obiena also paid a visit to House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez and received a copy of House Resolution 10 honoring the Filipino pole vaulter for bringing pride and glory to the Philippines.
The House resolution commends Obiena for winning two gold medals in the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung Meeting held in Jockgrim, Germany, and in the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany.
From his historic bronze finish in the 2022 World Athletic Championships in Oregon, USA, Obiena rose from No. 6 to No. 3 in the men’s pole vault ranking while retaining his top ranking in Asia.
Obiena is seen as a strong contender for the pole vault gold in the 2024 Olympics after setting a new pole vault world record at the Diamond League in Brussels, Belgium on September 2.
Apart from bagging the two gold medals in the Germany meets, Obiena also met the qualifying standard for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. (PNA)
