Hindi napigilan ni Vitaly Petrov, ang Ukrainian coach ni Pinoy pole vaulter EJ Obiena, na maglabas ng sama ng loob kaugnay ng iringan ng kanyang alaga at ng Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) na pinamumunuan ni Philip Ella Juico.

Sa kanyang social media post, tinira nito ang PATAFA dahil sa maling pagtrato kay Obiena kaugnay ng alegasyong misuse o maling paggamit ng pondo.

“If this federation is dropping a world-class athlete instead of helping, drops his coach who have trained him to be one of the best pole vaulters, brands a sports patron persona non grata who have done nothing but helped bring this Filipino boy to where he is now, then I ask, what is this federation doing?” ang bahagi ng Facebook post ni Petrov nitong Miyerkules, Enero 26.

Ang tinutukoy ni Petrov ang naging rekomendasyon ng PATAFA administrative committee na pagsasampa ng kaso laban kay Obiena, pagpapatalsik din sa kanya national team, pag-terminate sa kontrata ni Petrov bilang coach at pagdedeklara ng persona non grata kay athletics patron Jim Lafferty.

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Nitong Lunes, pormal na tinanggihan ni Obiena ang inilatag na mediation process ngPhilippine Sports Commission (PSC) para sa pagkakasundo sana nila ng PATAFA.

Dahil dito, itinuloy ng PATAFA ang desisyon nitong irekomenda ang paghahain ng kaso laban sa nasabing atleta.

“In my humble view, I have helped a young boy from a country that didn’t have the history or the resources to create a world-class pole vaulter. Now that EJ is finally a Top 5 pole vaulter in the world, his own federation president kicks him out of the team for nothing.In my opinion, athletes should only be thinking about their training and performance. Everything else is an additional burden and distraction that they don’t need,” paglilinaw ni Petrov.

"I am a coach who has trained and prepared multiple world champions, Olympic champions/record holder and 30 world records under my 57 years of coaching pole vault. Never have I been scorned by any federation of any nation that I have worked with,” pagdidiin nh Ukrainian coach.

Kaugnay nito, nagpasalamat naman si Obiena kay Petrov.

“If there is anyone that I owe my pole vault career to, it is Vitaly Petrov. I am truly sorry coach for the mess that this has brought you,” sabi ni Obiena sa kanyang social media post.

Kristel Satumbaga-Villar