OLYMPIAN Ernest John “EJ” Obiena believes Philippine sports is in its golden era, but access to quality facilities remains a major limiting factor for athletes. The two-time Asian Games gold medalist emphasized the critical need for better support during a recent Committee on Sports hearing. “I think sports in general, accessibility is the key. I think Philippine sports are in their golden age right now. We have so many world-class athletes, and I am just very proud that I am part of this era. I hope it gets better and better,” Obiena said. “I think what’s limiting us is the access to facilities. It is one of the reasons why I train outside, not just because of the knowledge there, but also the current situation of the facilities that we have.” Obiena understood that everyone is trying to upscale the sports program, but compared to the other countries, the scale of support is way too different. “I think everybody is doing their best. I have traveled from quite different countries, and I understand that the support in our country is not as big as what I said. In terms of the general budget.” Obiena trained at the University of Santo Tomas athletics team before he moved to Formia, Italy, in 2014 to train under renowned Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov. He stayed in Italy for more than a decade, where it shaped him into the first-ever Filipino pole vaulter to compete in the Olympics in 2020. In 2026, Obiena moved to Athens, Greece, where he began training under coach Marcin Szczepanski alongside Emmanouil Karalis. He further shared that he holds a pole vault clinic with the brands he partnered with. A total of 21 young pole vaulters in Ilocos and around 18 in Tagum. “This is just my small way ... Hopefully, this will be an ongoing thing we can sustain ... Continuous flow of athletes for our pole-vaulting event, because I really want to make the Philippines a powerhouse in this event, and hopefully in track and field as well.”