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SALA SA IN IT … SALA SA LAMIG: Nasaan ang pagka-makabayan ng PATAFA?


PhilBoxing.com




Sisimulan ang World Indoor Track and Field Championships sa ika 18 ng Marso nang wala ang Pilipino pole vaulter na si Ernest John Obiena, ang panlimang pinaka-magaling sa daigdig sa nasabing event.

Hindi nakakuha ng endorsement ang 26 anyos na Batang Tundo mula sa Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) para dalhin ang bandilang Pilipino sa tatlong araw na kompetiksyhon na matatapos sa Marso 20 sa Belgrade, Serbia.

“I have not been endorsed for the worlds. Registration is now closed. I won’t be attending. I am the only top-ranked vaulter not participating,” mapait na nabigkas ni Obiena sa kanyang Facebook.

“I will see other nations take the medal that Philippines should be winning,” punong-punong pagdadalamhating dugtong niya sa kanyang pagkabigong makalahok sa kompetisyong aniya’y handang-handa na siya.

Tinanggihan din ng PATAFA indorsong hiningi ni EJ para sa kanyang partisipasyon sa 31st Southeast Asian Games sa Mayo sa Hanoi, Vietnam, sa Pandaigdig na Kampeonato sa Hulyo sa Oregon, USA, at sa XIX Asian Games sa Hangzhou, China sa Sityembre.

Nakakuha ng upuan si EJ sa World Indoors matapos makamit ang gintong medalya sa Orlen Cup sa Poland noong nakaraang buwan kung kailan nakuha niyang liparin ang taas na 5.821 in metro.

Nasira niya ang nasabing rekord nang sumahimpapawid siya sa taas na 5.91 metro para mai-uwi ang medalyang pilak sa Perche Elite Tour sa France noong nakaraang ika-5 ng Marso.

Si EJ din ang kinikilalang pinaka-mahusay na Asyano sa kanyang event sa daigdig sa likod ng Nmero 1 si Armand Duplantis ng Sweden at Chris Nielsen, kapuwa ng USA, at Sam Kendricks, at KC Lightfoot.

“I am in prime physical and mental condition. I am ready to be the first Philippine homegrown athlete to compete in the worlds and I am ready to compete and bring home a medal,” paniniyak ng communications engineering student ng University of Santo Tomas.

“Now is my time – no, now is our time! But sadly, we will never know,” maluha-luhang wika niya. “The Philippines pays the price for people who set the country aside for personal cause.”

Bigo nang makapagpadala ng kahit isang kuwalipikadonmg atleta sa World Indoor, sinisikap namang mai-salba ng Philippine Olympic Committee ang partisipasyon ni Obiena sa SEA Games kung saan ay nakatakdang ipangtanggol ng Pilipinas ang pangkalahatang kampeonatong naipanalo ng mga Pilipinong atleta noong 2019 dito mismo sa bansa.

Batid ni POC president, Cavite Cong. Abrfaham “Bambol” Tolentino na may kahirapang mapanatili sa Pilipinas ang overall title sa ilalim ng hindi nasusulat na mantra ng tuwnig ikalawang taong palaro na “pagkakaibigan muna bago kompetisyon” na ipinatutupad tuwing may palaro.

A “sure gold,” ang turing ni POC prez sa isang gintong medealyang posibleng mai-dagdag ni EJ sa maaring mapanalunan ng pambansang delegasyong tutungo sa Hanoi. “A gold s a gold and we want to grab it.”

Kung kaya’t, paliwanag ni Tolentino, “EJ’s name must be there,” sa isang pahayag na taliwas sa saloobin ni PATAFA president, Dr. Philip “Popoy” Ella Juico na naniniwalang ang isang gold ni EJ ay mababale-wala sa maraming inaasahang maipanalo ng iba pang miyembro ng athletics team kabilang ang may mga dugong dayuhang atletang inaalagaan ng PATAFA na sa ilang taon ang nakalilipas ay kumakatawan sa bansa sa SEA Games, Asiad at maging sa Olympics.

Nasaan na ang pagka-makabayan dito? Ipinagpalit NA BA ng PATAFA ang isang purong-purong Pinoy na si EJ sa mga may dugong dayuhang alaga nila?

Sumusumpa si Tolentino na tiyak na kasama ang pangalan ni Obiena sa listahan ng atletang inindorso ng POC sa Vietnam SEA Games Organizing Committee noong Sabado, deadline ng pagsu-sumiteng mga pangalan ng mga atletang lalahok sa SEA Games.

“It’s both frustrating and disappointing if we don’t see EJ setting a new SEA Games record in Hanoi,” panaghoy na wika ni Tolentino. “Logic plays a major role here for the need to include him in the SEA Games list, this is sports and he’s a national sports pride.”


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


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