IT is not a secret that in the vast world of professional sports, there are some extraordinarily talented athletes who are loathsome, spoiled brats. It is also no secret that some sports governing bodies, having been given far more autonomous power over vast sums of money than would be sensible in almost any other circumstances, are staffed by utterly corrupt scum, whose only real interest in fielding winning men, women, cars or horses seems to be that doing so increases the amount they can divert into their own pockets.

The months-long soap opera pitting pole vaulter Ernest John 'EJ' Obiena against the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) is a tragic embarrassment for the country. Over the weekend, it emerged that Patafa, in continuation of its vendetta against Obiena, has refused to endorse him to compete in the World Indoor Track and Field Championships this coming weekend in Belgrade, Serbia.