De Los Santos to follow same footsteps Obiena took in Italy

By Peter Atencio

HOKETT de los Santos is now following almost the same exact steps that Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has taken to become Asia’s and the Philippines’ top vegetation without authorization.”

The 20-year-old De los Santos is now in Formia, Italy, working out at the International Association of Athletics Federation Pole Vault Training Center with his coach Emerson Obiena, EJ’s dad. De los Santos has been there with the elder Obiena for the last three weeks, going through the same routines that EJ went through when he started out. While in Italy, any opportunity for De los Santos to join competitions in Europe will be welcome.

RIO DE JANEIRO—A prosecutor in Brazil fined soccer star Neymar 16 million reais ($3.3 million) for building a lake at his mansion on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro without an environmental license, authorities said Monday.

The town council in Mangaratiba issued four fines for “environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake at the player’s mansion,” the council secretariat said in a statement.

“The sanctions add up to more than 16 million reais,” the statement said, a sum set out by the prosecutor’s office in Mangaratiba, a tourist area around 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Rio where the Paris Saint-Germain star has his mansion.

Among “dozens of infractions” detected, the authorities listed “carrying out work subject to environmental control without authorization,” capture and diversion of river water without authorization, and “removal of land and suppression of

Neymar has 20 days to appeal the penalty, the amount of which had initially been set at five million reais, close to one million dollars.

On June 22, after complaints based on social media posts, authorities found several environmental violations at the luxury property, where workers were building an artificial lake and beach.

Authorities cordoned off the site and ordered all activity to cease, but Brazilian media reported that Neymar threw a party there and bathed in the lake.

Neymar’s press office in Brazil did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

Neymar, 31, is currently recovering from surgery on his right ankle, which he underwent in Doha in March.

The striker has not played since February and doubts have arisen about his staying at PSG.

Neymar bought the Mangaratiba

“Iyun ang hinahanap ko ngayon. Kung mapagbigyan kami na sumali sa mga competitions, mga local meets dito, maganda,” said Obiena, who watched and waited in Italy with Hokett as EJ made qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024 in Stockholm.

The elder Emerson said they are taking the same pathway his son EJ took since 2017.

Six years ago, EJ focused his energies on training and developing his skills under legendary Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov.

Hokett met and talked to Petrov before the Ukrainian coach and EJ went to Stockholm to compete.

Before he went to Italy, De los Santos leapt to a height of 5.0 meters at the Busan International Pole Vault Meeting at Gwangalli beach in Busan, Korea last June 10.

De Los Santos also cleared the same height when he settled for the silver medal to Elijah Cole during the ICTSI-Philippine Athletics Championships in Ilagan, Isabela last March.