Janry Ubias made sure the Philippines will finish at the podium in Kazakhstan.
The Philippines' best track and field star EJ Obiena may have missed the 2023 Asian Indoor Athletics Championship in Kazakhstan, but one Filipino track athlete made sure the three stars and a sun will finish at the podium.
Janry Ubas bagged the bronze in Men's Heptathlon and rewrote the Philippine record in the process.
Ubas now holds the Philippine indoor record for indoor heptathlon after securing 5,306 points in Astana, Kazakhstan. Two Japanese finished in front of the Filipino athlete for silver and gold.
Only six Filipinos competed in this year's edition of the biennial meet. Obiena, who last participated in the tournament's 2016 edition, was a sure favorite to finish first, as the first place record for men's pole vault in this year's event was 5.45 meter only. Obiena's lowest jump this year, meanwhile, was 5.65 meters. But, without the bemedalled Obiena, a podium finish looked bleak for the Philippines.
That is, until Ubas stepped up big time.