Powerlifter Reboton vows not to waste dream shot

Joyce Gail Reboton in action in the IPF World Open. —PHOTO FROM JOYCE GAIL REBOTON’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Although she pulled off a stunning feat in the world championship, powerlifter Joyce Gail Reboton hasn’t been to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, and chances are she also won’t see action in both the Asian Games and the Olympics.

So when Reboton got an invite to represent the country in the coming World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, she immediately jumped at the opportunity to showcase her remarkable prowess and strength on a global level.

“I will make the most of this big break and hopefully I get to win a medal,’’ Reboton told the Inquirer during the lunch gathering hosted by Philippine chef de mission Patrick “Pato’’ Gregorio for the team on Tuesday at University Hotel inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.

Reboton made history after claiming a silver medal in the bench press and a bronze in the total event at the World Classic Powerlifting Championship in Halmstad, Sweden, in October last year.

As a result, she became the first Filipino to bring home a medal in the world open total classic powerlifting meet. Powerlifting isn’t part of the SEA Games calendar as well as in the Asian Games and Olympics.

Reboton, the current Asian champion in the women’s heavyweight class, will join nine other Filipino athletes like billiard aces Carlo Biado and Rubilen Amit (men’s and women’s nine-ball singles, jujitsu’s Annie Ramirez (women’s 57 kilogram) and karate’s Junna Tsukii (women’s 50kg kumite) in the July 7-17 showcase.

“These athletes are champions in their respective sports. I greatly look forward to supporting and working with our athletes toward a very successful participation in the World Games,’’ said Gregorio.

Likewise joining them in Alabama are muay fighters Phillip Delarmino (men’s 57kg) and Leeana Bade (women’s 63.5kg), and duathletes Kim Mangrobang, John Chicano and Fernando Casares.

Played a year after every Summer Olympics, the World Games is a global multisport event recognized by the International Olympic Committee and is comprised of 36 sports and disciplines that are usually not contested in the Olympic Games.

Since the World Games was institutionalized in 1981 in Santa Clara, California, the Philippines already won a total of 11 medals with Biado delivering the country’s first and only gold in 2017. INQ