John Franklin Kennedy Caacbay

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athletics

Paige Javier

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<p style="text-align:left">MANILA – Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena leads the Philippine team competing at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze later this month.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPhilippineAthletics%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Xu76up7C7whDhfbqy4XHJm4jr5NZnHPMjo4GvSyQgNc4UxJEemiWPidD4VrpDkJAl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="498" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) revealed on Thursday four Filipino athletes have qualified to the tournament.  </p><p>Leading the list is Obiena, who is coming off a gold medal at the ISTAF Indoor Berlin in Germany, where he also tallied his season best of 5.78 meters.</p><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVytvA1jbl2/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=594&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A19033999.299999997%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="880" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Obiena took to social media to express his joy of qualifying for the competition, which he said is part of his journey to regaining his form.</p><p>&quot;We made the World Indoor Championship!!! Last year I missed, didn’t make the cut, grade or whatever is synonymous with &#x27;failing to qualify&#x27;. That was a tough shake. I said I would bounce back time and time again but it didn’t exactly work out that outdoor season,&quot; he wrote in an Instagram post.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/2/7/ej-obiena-bags-gold-in-12th-asian-indoor-athletics-championships-2200"><strong>READ: EJ Obiena bags gold in 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships<br/></strong></a></div><p>&quot;Still today, it doesn’t feel like I’m anywhere near where I want to be or believe I can be. Making this World Indoors championship, one of the twelve vaulters, is a small step on a long road back. Brick by brick, inch by inch we build — and if I must crawl, so be it,&quot; Obiena added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/7/ej-obiena-strikes-gold-at-istaf-indoor-with-season-best-5-78-m-1357"><strong>READ: EJ Obiena strikes gold at ISTAF Indoor with season-best 5.78-m<br/></strong></a></div><p>The 30-year-old pole vaulter is currently No. 12 in the latest world rankings.</p><p>Joining Obiena will be his fellow Olympian and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist John Cabang Tolentino, Jessica Laurance and Zion Corrales Nelson.  </p><p>According to PATAFA, Tolentino will compete in the 60 meter hurdles event, while Laurance and Nelson will represent the Philippines in the 60-meter dash.</p><p>The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze will run from March 20 to 22 in Poland.</p>

<p>Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena leads the Philippine team competing at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze later this month.</p>

Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena leads the Philippine team competing at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze later this month.

EJ Obiena leads Team PH in World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland

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EJ Obiena leads Team PH in World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 13, 2026 02:48 PM PHT

Read More:

abssports

athletics

EJ Obiena

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Kujawy Pomorze

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association

John Cabang Tolentino

Jessica Laurance

Zion Corrales Nelson

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