Pole Vaulter EJ Obiena is being wooed by several countries after a row with the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association (PATAFA) over funds embezzlement, said his long-time mentor James Michael Lafferty.
Lafferty revealed that multiple countries have already been courting the athlete.
He said this in an interview with sports broadcast journalist Gretchen Ho stating that many countries have expressed their interest and offered him passports.
Lafferty said a number of countries are looking at this situation and “laughing uncontrollably at how the Philippines is driving away a world class athlete.”
He added that long before the controversy there was already a line of people at his door to offer him a passport.
A feud has erupted between Obiena and PATAFA for the past couple of weeks as the latter accused him of embezzlement and stealing the financial assistance given to him to pay his coach Vitaly Petrov’s salary.
Both Obiena and Petrov have denied the allegations. (AW)
