Dapat hayaan na lang mag-concentrate si Olympian EJ Obiena sa kanyang pagsasanay sa halip na pagbantaan dahil sa diumano’y maling paggamit ng pondo.

Ito ang panawagan ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III matapos hilingin ni Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) President Philip Juico na tanggalin na sa national training pool ang sikat na pole vaulter.

Nagbanta din si Juico na kakasuhan ng estafa si Obiena at ang ina nitong si Jeanette, na auditor ng Patafa, dahil sa pagkabigong i-liquidate ang €61,026.80 (P3,542,533.39) sa dapat pambayad sa coach nitong si Vitaly Petrov.

“Leave EJ alone. Allow him to focus on his tournaments,” sabi ni Sotto, na dati ring national athlete na kumatawan noon sa mga international bowling competition.

“I was a national athlete too and I feel the frustration that our pole vaulter is feeling now. It’s hard to train in another country without your family and the culture that you are used to,” dagdag pa nito.

Binigyang-diin pa ni Sotto, ang mga atleta ay dapat sinusuportahan at hindi dapat binabanatan ng mga sports association tulad ng Patafa.

“Our athletes represent the country in a different level. They should be getting our support and not being attacked by sports associations,” ani Sotto.

Mas mainam aniyang pag-usapan ng pribado ang sigalot ng Patafa kay Obiena sa halip na dalhin ang isyu sa media.

“The issue was handled unprofessionally. What was PATAFA thinking when it attacked our athlete? All persons involved in this mess should meet privately and resolve their issues without the glare of cameras,” sabi pa ni Sotto.

The post Sotto sa Patafa: Tantanan n’yo si EJ Obiena! first appeared on Abante TNT Breaking News.

Source: Abante (https://tnt.abante.com.ph/sotto-sa-patafa-tantanan-nyo-si-ej-obiena/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sotto-sa-patafa-tantanan-nyo-si-ej-obiena)