FILIPINO-AMERICAN Eric Shauwn Cray and five other athletes are seeing action—all of them hoping to fill the big shoes of world No. 3 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena—at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships that starts Friday in Astana.
Cray said he wants to improve on the men’s 60-meter bronze medal he bagged at the 2016 Doha edition as he emphasized on an inspired performance in the Kazakhstan capital.
“It’s very important to compete here because I am representing the Philippines,” said the 34-year-old Cray, whose credentials include a gold in the men’s 400 meters at the 2017 Bhubaneswar (India).
“It’s always important for me when I’m running for the country with the flag on my chest and competing to the best of my abilities,” added the seven-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist who’s competing in Astana only in the 60 meters.
Also on the team sent by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association headed by Terry Capistrano are Janry Ubas (long jump), Sarah Dequinan (heptathlon), Harry Diones (triple jump), Leonard Gorospe (high jump) and Filipino-Spanish John Cabang Tolentino (hurdles).
Obiena is skipping the Asian indoor because there are no airlines flying to and from Astana which could accommodate pole vaults.