Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena is confident of defending his pole vault title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old two-time Olympian told the BusinessMirror that he feels good about his form heading into the 5:20 p.m. competition at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
‘I feel good for the season…I am ready,’ Obiena said.
Obiena, with new poles coach Marcin Szczepanski and physiotherapist Christia Ferdinandi, faces arguably tougher competition this time but he is unfazed.
‘I believe I feel more confident than I was before. It is going to be a tougher Asian Games, but I am capable of winning it.’
In the 2023 Asiad in Hangzhou, Obiena won with an Asian record 5.90 meters, with China’s Huang BOkai and Saudi Arabia’s Husseim Asim Al-Hizam both clearing 5.65 to share second place.
Among Obiena’s challengers this time are Li Chenyang of China and Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam.
Li, 23, placed second to Obiena at the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, clearing 5.60. His personal best is 5.86.
Abdelsalam, 21, is also a title contender, setting a personal best of 5.90m at the Skwer Kuracyjny outdoor meet in Sopot Poland on August 20.
Obiena’s best this season is 5.91.
Other competitors are China’s Yao Jie, whose personal best is 5.82, Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Al Hizam (5.72), Japan’s Tomoyawa Karawasa (5.66) and Thailand’s Patsapong Amsamarng (5.70).