MANILA – Ernest John “EJ” Obiena secured his second consecutive Asian Games gold medal after ruling the men’s pole vault competition last night at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
The Filipino star set a new Asian Games record at 5.91 meters to claim the gold, the country’s third in this year’s games following gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo’s golden finishes in floor exercise and vault events.
Obiena entered the competition at 5.50 meters and needed only one attempt to clear the height. He then skipped 5.60 meters before moving to 5.70 meters, which he also successfully cleared.
The former University of Santo Tomas standout went on to clear 5.75 meters on first try, he failed on two attempts at 5.80 meters before completing the Asian Games record.
Finishing with silver and bronze medals in the competition, respectively, were Chinese Yao Jie and Li Chenyang, both with 5.75 mark.
Filipina-American sprinter Victoria Bossong, meanwhile, captured a bronze medal in the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:05.34. China’s Hongjian Wu captured the gold, while Nelly Korir of Bahrain clinched the silver.
The Philippines captured the silver medal in women’s doubles sepak takraw event after losing to Vietnam, 15-8, 15-4, in the final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium.
Jean Marie Sucalit and Negrense Abegail Sinogbuhan, with Nelly Jay Salon serving as substitute, struggled to keep pace with the Vietnamese pair, particularly in the second set.
The Vietnamese side began to pull away midway through the opening set, leaving the Philippines unable to close the gap. Vietnam carried that momentum into the second set, where it established an early advantage and never looked back.
Sinogbuhan, a native of Sagay City, Negros Occidental, admitted to having mixed emotions after the team exceeded expectations and secured a historic silver medal in the women’s doubles event.
“Mixed emotions po kasi hindi talaga namin ine-expect na makaka-abot kami sa finals. Talagang hiniling na lang namin kay Lord na sana this Asian Games makakuha kami ng medalya kahit any color. Pero natapos po itong doubles event namin, binigay sa amin ni Lord itong silver medal. Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam,” she said.
The silver also gave the Philippines its second medal in sepak takraw at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The men’s regu team had earlier secured a bronze after reaching the semifinals.
Sepak Takraw Pilipinas president Karen Tanchanco-Caballero expressed pride in the team, highlighting the years of hard work and sacrifices that went into their historic silver-medal finish.
“Nothing but great pride and honor. All their hard work not just months but years leading to this. We needed this break for a long time. I’m just so proud, that’s why I was very specific that I wanted to really sit beside them as team manager, not as an NSA President. Because I want to share this journey with them. All the sacrifices that the’ve been through.”
Jayuard Alciso secured a bronze medal in the men’s shortboard competition after defeating fellow Philippine representative Toby Espejon at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara, Aichi.
Alciso posted a score of 11.64, built from waves worth 6.67 and 4.97, to finish ahead of Espejon, who recorded 8.90 from scores of 4.83 and 4.07.
The all-Filipino medal match came after both surfers fell short in the semifinals with Alciso bowing to Indonesia’s Ariyana I Made Pajar and Espejon losing to Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi./PN
