Ernest John “EJ” Obiena isn’t worried about going back to competition just yet.
Completely healing from a back injury is his priority and the sense of achievement he feels after raising around P1.5-million to build to pole vaulting pits is among his priorities at the moment.
The 28-year old Obiena said this after having a meet-and-greet with his fans at the Ayala Mall Manila Bay on Sunday and spending time with pole vault legend Sergei Bubka and his coach Vitaly Petrov.
The night before, Obiena welcomed Petrov to Manila, who came to Manila late Saturday evening with Bubka, a multi-titled Ukrainian world champion.
“Recovery is doing well. We’ll know in a few weeks,” said Obiena, after having selfies and engagements with his legions of fans at the “High Flying Hangout with EJ Obiena: A meet and greet event.”
Obiena, whose world ranking has stayed at no. 3 since July 23, said he needs to fully recover before he can go back to training and compete for the indoor season.
Both Bubka and Petrov hung around at the meet-and-greet with Obiena’s dad Emerson and mom Jeanette.
For now, he expressed gladness over the funding he was able to gather in order to build facilities, and be able to help interested kids undergo pole vault clinics that he will organize in the coming months.
“I need to have some scans and make sure that the bone is completely healed,” added Obiena, who stopped competing two weeks ago for the rest of the 2024 season because of recurring pain in his back.
His painful back forced Obiena to call it a season days after clearing 5.82 meter to settle for fifth place in the Silesia Diamond League at the Stadion Śląski in Poland.
During the Olympics, Obiena settled for fourth place after feeling pain in the lumbar spine, which is in the lower region in his back, 12 days before he was to compete.
He and his associates had to fly Obiena out of his training camp in Normandy in secrecy, for a medical procedure in Italy.
