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VETERAN internationalist Emerson Obiena and rising
star Riezel Buenaventura topped their respective divisions in 3rd
Philippine Pole Vault Festival held over the weekend at the SM Mall
of Asia in Pasay City.
Two-time SEA Games bronze
medalist Obiena cleared the bar in 4.65 meters to win the men’s
open division over Palarong Pambansa champion Djundi Binas of
Adamson (4.55m) and Taiwan’s all-high school champion Chin Chiang
Hsu (4.55m).
Both Binas and Chin have similiar
measurements but the Filipino made it on his first attempt.
“Ang sarap ng pakiramdam
lalo’t sa edad kong ito ay makukuha ko pa ring talunin ang mga
kalaban ko. Siguro dala na rin ng experience, pero talagang hindi
rin ako nagpapabaya sa aking ensayo. Nakakahiya pa sa ating mga
kababayan kung sa laban na ito ay matalo pa ako,” said the
32-year-old Obiena.
Obiena disappointed his
supporters when he attempted three times to clear the bar in 4.85m.
But crowd lightened up when tournament official Ben Silva-Netto
announced that Obiena just tried to erase his Asian Masters best
record of 4.75m set last year.
“Nag-try lang ako na maitaas pa
yung measurement ko pero hindi na rin kinaya,” explained Obiena,
who logged a personal best of 4.95m during the 1999 National Open.
Fil-American Edward Lasquete holds the Philippine record of 5.00m.
The 5-foot-1 Buenaventura, a
sports management student at Far Eastern University, won the
women’s title in 3.40m.
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