The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) cried foul over the action of Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino for allegedly replacing Filipino-American Olympian sprinter Kristina Knott with another Olympian in pole vaulter Ernest John 'EJ' Obiena as beneficiary of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Solidarity Scholarship (OSS).

'The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) deplored the latest flagrant act of Philippine Olympic Committee president Congressman Abraham Tolentino in usurping the PATAFA's functions and mandate as the sports' controlling body in naming non-PATAFA athlete EJ Obiena as the Athletics sport Olympics scholar for the next three years,' said Patafa in a statement on Saturday.