ERNEST JOHN (EJ) Obiena is ready to take it to the next level, as he goes full-throttle on his preparations for the upcoming busy outdoor season. This time, the scenery is different but still familiar.
Obiena has returned to the Philippines, not for a quick getaway, but this time for an outdoor training camp at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Cavite, his first training camp on native soil.
The two-time Olympian trained with a small circle with him, attended by well-known coach Vitaly Petrov, physiotherapist Christian Ferdinandi, and Saudi pole vaulter Hussain Al Hizam.
A Wise Decision
Obiena will compete in multiple outdoor events namely in China and South Korea over the next several months, with the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games potentially taking place later this year.
Given that two of his competitions would take place in Asia, the pole vaulter and his squad decided to base themselves in the country to reduce exhaustion from travel.
“We have Diamond Leagues and the Asian Championships coming up, and we want to avoid jet lag,” said Obiena, who recently had a gold medal finish at an invitational meet in Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan.
“It’s been a while since I trained in the Philippines, and I believe it’s a good place. Hopefully, if everything goes well, this could even be a second base,” he went on to share, in an interview with a media.
Back is Healthy
While Obiena missed the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships due to a back injury incurred following the 2024 Paris Olympics, the World No. 4 has assured everyone that he is again well.
“There’s a lot of adjustments for sure. When you’ve had pain for a year, you adapt your technique around it. Now I have to re-learn and remind myself — hey, there’s no more pain,” he shared.
“Physically, I’m stronger now. I’m killing myself in training trying to be better. Hopefully, it works,” he went on to share.
Meanwhile, Obiena’s aims, in addition to healing mentally and physically for the upcoming year, are to be more consistent, to bring out more competition in himself, and to complete his redemption.
“I want to be competitive again, be more consistent than last year, and really recover the points I lost. I missed quite a few competitions last year. And of course, I want to defend all the crowns I still hold,” he said.
Obiena will be looking forward to defending his Asian Championship crowns, which he previously won in Doha and Thailand, while the SEA Games will be determined by how the 29-year-old’s season plays out.
