Makati city: European Championships bronze medalist Ersu Sasma of Trkiye is set to compete in the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge from September 20 to 21 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City.

According to Philippines News Agency, Sasma, ranked world No. 5, recently achieved a national record of 5.92 meters at the Internationales Stadionfest (ISTAF) in Berlin, Germany, last July. He will be joined by other top pole vaulters, including Dutch athlete Menno Vloon and Filipino Ernest John "EJ" Obiena. The tournament is a result of collaboration between the Ayala Group's Atletang Ayala, which aims to support Filipino athletes on the global stage, and the MVP Sports Foundation.

Vloon, ranked No. 6, claimed gold at the 2025 European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and the 2023 European Games in Poland. Obiena, the world's No. 7, is a two-time World Championship medalist and holds the Asian Championships record at 5.93 meters.

Other participants include Thibaut Collet of France (No. 12), Ben Broeders of Belgium (No. 13), Austin Miller of USA (No. 14), Piotr Lisek of Poland (No. 15), Oleg Zernikel of Germany (No. 16), and Matt Ludwig of USA (No. 23).

The event, employing a street vaulting format, is sanctioned by the World Athletics Continental Tour-Bronze category and is supported by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, World Athletics, and Asian Athletics.

Atletang Ayala backs national athletes by offering full-salaried employment, flexible work arrangements, access to top-notch training and medical facilities, and assistance for international training and competitions. This initiative is part of the Ayala Foundation's Leadership Development pillar, focusing on nurturing young leaders into globally competitive figures.