EJ OBIENA is bringing world-class pole vaulting to the Philippines with an international competition from September 20 to 21 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati.
No less than Obiena revealed the staging of the event named Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge during an online press conference on Monday.
Obiena said he will be inviting the Top 10 pole vaulters in the world including world and Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis.
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Obiena said they strategically set the date after the World Athletics Championships from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
Obiena added that the event will be sanctioned by World Athletics, so ranking points will be on offer for the competitors.
Obiena is excited to not just bring the best pole vaulters in the world to the Philippines, but also to compete in front of Filipino fans in the event that has been years in the making.
“Of course, I’ll be there,” Obiena said. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. This is something I’ve been really pushing and I’m really thankful that it is finally happening and I’m very thankful for the Ayala Group, to the MVP Sports Foundation, and to everyone.
"This is something that it’s almost like a baby of mine that finally I can see through and definitely, I’m not going to miss this for the world.”
Street vaulting
Ayala Corp. looks forward to hosting the event classified as street vaulting by World Athletics.
“We see this as an opportunity to bring athletes like EJ closer to the public and potentially inspire others to develop future generations of leaders through sports in particular,” said Ayala Corp. executive director Jamie Alfonso Zobel de Ayala.
“That is another reason why Ayala feels so excited about contributing to this event. It’s a chance to show that the heart of Makati, the Ayala Triangle Gardens, is a community center that has evolved from once an airport into a public venue for community activities like cultural events, food markets, and now global sporting events,” Zobel de Ayala added.
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