STILL THE KING
BANGKOK—EJ Obiena bucked the challenge of Thailand’s Amsamang Patsapong to win his fourth straight men’s pole vault gold in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday here.
But unlike the first three that came and established him as king of the sport, Obiena worked hard for this one.
Obiena and the hometown bet both set a Games record of 5.70 meters at Supachalasai Stadium, but the two-time Olympian went on to take the gold via countback after the Filipino cleared the height in his first try, and the home bet needed a third attempt.
Another Filipino entry, Elijah Cole, took the bronze at 5.20, and no one else in the field was left to contest the title with Obiena and Patsapong. But the Thai was enough of a presence to give Obiena some anxious moments.
“It’s too close for comfort,” Obiena later said after he and Patsapong broke the previous mark of 5.65 set by Obiena two years ago in Cambodia.
Meanwhile, two Filipino boxers booked their spots in the finals. And with their gold medal bouts looming against host country fighters, Jay Baricuatro and Flint Jara know convincing wins will be essential.
Jara did not mince words after cruising to a 5-0 decision over Singapore’s Jin Yang Ang in the men’s bantamweight (54-kilogram) semifinals at Chulalongkorn University.
“Aside from being strong fighters, the judging is also strong,” Jara said, alluding to the challenge of facing Thai opponents on home soil.
Earlier, Baricuatro needed little time to dispatch Timor-Leste’s Antonio da Silva, winning via referee-stopped contest in the opening round to advance to the gold medal bout.
Both fighters are already assured of at least silver medals—but neither is settling.
Baricuatro will face Thailand’s Thitiwat Phlongaurai, while Jara is set to battle another home bet, Thanarat Saengphet, as Team Philippines tries to secure at least one boxing gold in a sport that has traditionally delivered multiple titles for the country.
More than just winning, Philippine officials are hoping for decisive performances—results clear enough to avoid what are often referred to as “hometown decisions.”
Those were the marching orders earlier issued by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino to all combat athletes.
“It’s hard to beat Thailand anywhere, especially in their home country,” Tolentino said before the Games. “The judging isn’t in your control, but what you can control is how convincing your performance is.”
Tolentino later voiced frustration over Nesthy Petecio’s semifinal loss over the weekend, when the Filipino Olympian bowed to Indonesia’s Hasanah Huswatun on points in the women’s middleweight division.
Petecio initially said she respected the judges’ decision before expressing dissatisfaction over the officiating on social media.
“The sport has to be better in terms of integrity,” Tolentino said afterward. “Otherwise, we don’t deserve to be in the Olympics beyond 2028 if we can’t show the world that we uphold integrity in refereeing and judging.”
