EJ Obiena 'deeply touched' by offers of donations for his team, but won't accept: 'I don't feel it is right'

Days after Filipino Olympian and pole vaulter EJ Obiena announced he would not be able to join the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships due to logistical and financial issues, the Asian record holder took to his social media accounts to address supporters that are willing to help him in the situation.

"Following my recent post concerning the Asian Indoor Championships in Kazakhstan, many have written amazingly supportive notes; and have volunteered donations from your personal pockets to help pay my team for their lack of salaries for the past year," Obiena wrote.

"I cannot adequately express to all of you how deeply touched my team and I are by your generosity. Bayanihan still runs strong in Filipinos."

However, Obiena said he will not accept donations to his team.

"After consideration, I must say to you that at this time I am unwilling to request of you any donations from your hard-earned money."

The pole vaulter cited two reasons for not accepting donations.

"I am a national athlete and my expenses have been approved for payment by the PSC and funded from taxpayer revenues," wrote Obiena. " As all of you are taxpayers, I must respect that you have already paid for my training.  It is just not the right thing to do to ask you to pay once via paying taxes, and then pay again privately. This is 'double dipping' and it’s not ethical."

"A team of people is working on the matter now and I must have faith they will resolve it soon. It hence would be questionable for me to accept donations and then having this resolve in the near future and 'double dipping'.  I should allow some time for this to resolve," added Obiena.

"Therefore, I don’t feel it is right to ask or accept your kind donations at this time."

Obiena also reminded his supporters not to entertain those trying to raise money on his behalf.

"Please use your hard-earned money for yourselves and your families.  I will try to resolve this with my team and the various sports officials who are assisting me."

Financial issues of his team is just one of the two main issues Obiena cited for skipping the Asian Indoor Championships. The other one is the challenge of bringing his pole to Kazakhstan despite the efforts made by his organization, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, and his mentor James Lafferty, as no airline serving the venue of the Asian Indoor Championships will bring the poles.

Recently, Obiena bagged another gold in the Orlen Copernicus Cup.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News