EJ Obiena, the world’s second-ranked male pole vaulter, has been named among the 117 elite athletes joining Team Visa for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
Obiena also makes history as the first Filipino to receive an Olympic Games Paris 2024 Athlete Sponsorship as he competes this year.
Visa, the Worldwide Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, aims to empower athletes globally and locally. Since becoming an official partner of the Olympic Games in 1986, it has consistently played a pivotal role in fostering the spirit of competition and excellence. In the previous Olympic Games, Visa in the Philippines had sponsored top gymnast Carlos Yulo.
Obiena has won a total of seven gold medals in the pole vault event at the Asian Games, Asian Athletics Championships, Universiade, and the Southeast Asian Games. He also won one silver and one bronze from the World Athletics Championships.
Most recently, Obiena was awarded the Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year Award in January 2024.
He is one of only 28 pole vaulters in the world—and the first Asian—who has cleared the elusive six-meter mark. He achieved this milestone twice.
Obiena has advocated for the development of sports programs in the Philippines and has donated some of his earnings to create more pole vault facilities in the country. A proud Filipino, he has even turned down several naturalization opportunities from other countries to retain his nationality and represent the Philippines as an athlete.
“I am fighting to bring honor and glory for my country. Others fight for ego or power. But that’s not me. I fight for higher principles. Loyalty is a virtue. And loyalty still matters,” Obiena said. “Thank you to Visa for entrusting me to be part of the elite Team Visa family of athletes from all around the world, and I will do my utmost best to win in the coming Paris 2024.”
“We are very proud of EJ Obiena’s world-class achievements and believe that he will shine in this coming Paris 2024. His efforts to help his fellow Filipinos in nation-building through sports are commendable and Visa stands with him on that journey through the Olympics,” shared Jeff Navarro, Visa Country Manager for the Philippines.
Since 2000, the Team Visa athlete program has supported over 600 Olympic and Paralympic athletes selected based on their athletic achievements and community involvement. They were also selected based on the core values of Visa which includes equality, access, and inclusion.
For Paris 2024 Team Visa, 117 Olympic and Paralympic athletes from 60+ markets were selected including eight new markets such as Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, and Honduras. The program has also become more inclusive, featuring athletes aged 15 to 48 years old, with the highest percentage of women athletes in its history.
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