The country’s top pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena has no plans of changing his nationality and federation.
Obiena said this after receiving offers from other nations to compete under a different flag and country.
“This is a fact. It is also true I have been approached several years ago already by other nations, floating lucrative pay packages to compete for their flag,” said the 24-year-old Obiena.
But Obiena added that he has declined to accept the invitations after consulting one of his main advisers in James Lafferty.
“Mr. Lafferty and I always agreed loyalty matters. I therefore said ‘no’ several years ago. I love my country. I am proud to compete for the flag of the Philippines. I get chills every time I hear our anthem played and to watch that flag rise high,” he added.
Obiena talked about his plans a day after the Philippine Sports Commission Board on Monday set mediation talks between him and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association for Dec. 15.
The agency is hopeful that efforts to resolve the conflict between the two will be fruitful.
Last week, Obiena got involved in controversy after the PATAFA alleged that he may have falsified his liquidation reports and failed to turn over payment of 85,000 euros for his coach Vitaly Petrov.
Two probe bodies in the PATAFA are studying the affidavits of top World Athletics official Sergey Bubka and the written statement of Petrov, who initially alleged that he “did not receive any monthly coach’s fees” from 2018 to 2021.
