Header Ads Widget

PATAFA dropping EJ Obiena from national team, mulling estafa raps too

EJ Obiena is now out of the Philippine athletics team. Reuters (file photo)
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has dropped the hammer on EJ Obiena in the latest plot twist to their rift.

PATAFA announced on Tuesday that it is recommending the removal of Asia's current pole vault king from the national team following the conclusion of a probe conducted regarding this matter.

According to PATAFA board of trustees member Felix Tiukinhoy, the board approved the said recommendation on Dec. 29.

He added that Obiena would be dropped from the team "effective immediately."

Obiena's coach, Vitaly Petrov, has not been spared too as Tiukinhoy also announced that PATAFA is now cutting its ties with Petrov as a pole vault coach.

Tiukinhoy further bared that complaints are set to be filed too against both Obiena and Petrov.

"A criminal complaint will be filed against EJ Obiena insofar as the funds of PATAFA in the amount of 6,000 euros (around PHP360,000) are concerned representing the coaching fee for the months of May-August 2018," Tiukinhoy bared PATAFA's legal action against Obiena.

For Petrov, Tiukinhoy said, "A complaint will be filed against Mr. Vitaly Petrov before the World Athletics for violation of the Integrity Code of Conduct."

Meanwhile, a week after its chief, Popoy Juico, was declared persona non grata by the Philippine Olympic Committee, PATAFA declared Obiena's adviser James Lafferty persona non grata.

Tiukinhoy also said that a copy of the PATAFA investigative committee's report will be sent to the Philippine Sports Commission and the Commission on Audit.

Based on the committee's report, as Tiukinhoy bared, "EJ Obiena misappropriated the amount of 61,026.80 euros (around PHP3,661,608) which was released to him by the PATAFA and PSC as payment for the coaching fee of Mr. Petrov but which was not paid as of August 2021 and Jeanette Obiena (EJ's mother and former PATAFA auditor) misappropriated the amount of PHP624,116.76 she claimed from the PSC under pretext that it is a reimbursement of the coaching fee paid to Mr. Petrov for the months of January-March 2019."

The allegations of Obiena not paying Petrov properly are the root cause of the row between Obiena and PATAFA, which has been ongoing since November.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno

Post a Comment

0 Comments