An ambitious idea to host the world’s best pole vaulters here is coming closer to fruition for Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
EJ Obiena is one athlete who certainly aims high — both on and off the field.
Already in the record books as a three-time Asian Athletics Championships gold medalist and two-time World Athletics Championships medalist, Obiena is now training his sights on organizing a major event: bringing the world’s top pole vaulters to his home country.
The two-day meet, dubbed the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, will be held from September 20 to 21 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. It’s the culmination of EJ’s vision of gathering the best of his peers to perform in front of his countrymen.
“This has been a lifelong dream of mine,” he said during a virtual press conference Monday. “Bringing such a level of an event to our country. After many months and even years of preparation, we are officially bringing a sanctioned world pole vault event to Makati, Philippines.
“This is through our collaboration, of course, with Atletang Ayala and MVP Sports Foundation. We are bringing several of the top ten pole vaulters, my friends all over the globe, at the Ayala Triangle Gardens of September 20 and 21. This event is part of the World Athletics Calendar and will follow a street vaulting format.
“We are so excited to bring an event such as this to Philippine shores. This has been a dream to bring the world of pole vault into Philippines, as I hope this could inspire future generation of athletes. We also want to showcase the country’s abilities to host such a huge international-level competition.”
The list of participants still isn’t final, but EJ says the world’s top ten pole vaulters have all been invited, and most have shown interest. And yes, this includes world no. 1 Armand “Mondo” Duplantis.
“Yes, hopefully Mondo will come,” Obiena said. “Right now, we know that Mondo and the top ten pole vaulters are interested, so talks are ongoing, and we will let you know in the next few weeks how that will progress.”
Lest someone thinks this will merely be an exhibition event, EJ clarifies that the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge will be sanctioned by both PATAFA and World Athletics.
“This is in the calendar of World Athletics. And with that, it amounts to certain points. And with that, it will be in the world ranking for sure. If anybody jumps a world record, if we see one, it’s going to be there. And if anybody jumps a national record, everything, it’s going to be up to standard.
“This is not an exhibition. This is an official sanctioned competition by World Athletics.”
PATAFA Secretary General Jasper Tanhueco has assured the NSA’s full support for the event.
“We are more than happy to provide our guidance, of course, and support to Ayala, ensuring compliance with international standards. Especially for an event like this, we have one of the best poll voters in the world. This basically helps to highlight and promote the track and field in the Philippines, not just as a participant, but as a legitimate host for the country.”
Holding an event of this magnitude in a public venue like Ayala Triangle Gardens will be a challenge, for sure, but Ayala Corp. executive director Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala says they are working closely with all stakeholders to assure an optimal fan experience.
“We are very interested in bringing this event here to Makati because it helps meet the interests of a few key stakeholders that are involved in this initiative. On one hand, we have an opportunity to give world-class athletes the ability to compete here in the Philippines. On the other hand, we also give the constituents of Makati a safe and exciting experience during the event.
“With that in mind, we’ve been working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we’re providing the experience that’s provided. We discussed the relationship with World Athletics and PATAFA to ensure that everything is sanctioned and that the results are credible. We’ve also been working with the local government units to make sure that the fan experience is one that is up to expectations, that it’s safe, that it’s convenient to access, and that it’s inclusive.”
For EJ Obiena, being both the hometown hero and chief organizer of this historic event is secondary to his primary goal: to be able to perform in front of his countrymen once more.
“Hopefully, this is just going to be a spark to get that engine going and maybe get more international competitions in the country.
“And on the personal side, as an athlete, I can’t wait to jump in front of a home crowd. I haven’t done that in such a long time. The last time I did that was in (the 2019) SEA Games, and it was far from the heart of the city. And I think bringing the sport outside of the track closer to the people, and definitely Makati being as busy as it is, it’s an amazing spot to jump.”
Banner Images from Ayala Corp.