Hoping to inspire his students to aspire to great heights, a public school teacher in Cabanatuan City has named his Grade 8 class after the Asian Games’ pole vault gold medalist EJ Obiena.
“I am from DepEd Cabanatuan City and my section’s name is named after you because we are under the sports curriculum, and I know that you will serve as (an) inspiration to my student-athletes. Congrats. Para sa Bayan,”said Kirby Musni in a social media post.
This elicited an immediate response from Obiana, who shared the teacher’s post and his own inspirational words, reminding how sports can be a tool in building a great nation.
“I have long believed that there is more to pole vaulting than the sport itself. There is more to basketball than the game itself. Sport transcends sport and can be a nation-building tool,” said the 27-year-old Obiena who captured the gold in the Hangzhou Asian Games with his record leap of 5.75 meters, which he further smashed at 5.9.
Obiena said this is how Brazil, because of the success of its national football team, and China, which successfully hosted the Beijing 2008 Olympics, continue to gain economic progress.
“Sports can play a role in building a nation. Unifying people. Creating a sense of national pride. I love my country. And that’s why even in the darkest hours of the controversy of 2021, I never seriously considered offers from any other country. I was born Filipino, and I shall always be Filipino.”
Obiena said he always gives importance to his supporters who share his vision to help build the nation.
“Because of this, beyond the press stories and gold medals, chat messages from kababayans matter most to me. I am helping build a nation. And this matters most,” added Obiena, currently ranked no. 2 in the world behind Swedish-American Armand Duplantis.
Obiena returned home for some rest, before training and competing again, in preparation for next year’s Paris Olympics.
He is set to have a reunion on Friday with his supporters at his alma mater Chiang Kai Shek College in Tondo, Manila.
