ACL or not, Obiena hunts for SEA Games pole vault gold

EJ Obiena has broken the national record 14 times and, at 21, looks very capable of raising the bar well beyond the 5.55 meters he achieved in a recent athletics meet in Singapore (photo).

KUALA LUMPUR—Ernest John Obiena is set to compete in pole vault on Thursday despite fears that he injured his left ACL last week during training in Manila.

This was confirmed by athletics chief Philip Ella Juico, who said Obiena will fly here in the morning just in time for the event in the afternoon at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

“I told the father (and coach Emerson Obiena) we’re thinking of the long term here. We have the Asian Games, the Olympics and World Championships. SEA Games gold is good but if he aggravates his injury we don’t want it,” said Juico.

READ: PH gold medal bet Obiena injures ACL, out of SEA Games

The 22-year-old, 6-foot-2 Obiena hurt his ACL and was even reported by Juico as needing surgery last Friday, one day before the team departed for this city.

But Juico said EJ and his father insisted that the young pole vaulter is healthy enough to hunt for a gold in the event where he bagged a silver two years ago in Singapore.

Obiena, who has been training in Formia, Italy, has a personal best of 5.61 meters, which is deemed good for the SEA Games gold medal.

The standing SEA Games record is only 5.30 meters.