Third teen tabs fourth PH gold in Albania

Ian delos Santos’ winning lift. —IWF PHOTO

Team Philippines unveiled another gem in Ian delos Santos, who claimed the gold medal in the total of the boys’ 61-kilogram (kg) division in the ongoing 2023 International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania.

The 16-year-old Delos Santos lifted an aggregate of 259-kg. built on the strength of a runaway performance in the clean and jerk at 149 kg, as the second-generation prospect from Zamboanga City started out flat in the snatch at 110 kgs, which was good for fourth, before making amends in the clean and jerk in a complete turnaround.

“As I’ve said, we’re now fighting to be the world’s best even in the boys and men’s categories. You can see that both our men and women lifters will be strong contenders in future global meets,’’ Monico Puentevella, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president, told the Inquirer.

“He’s the son of Alvin delos Santos, our former national weightlifting champion for many years,” he said.

Delos Santos stunned Turkmenistan’s Perhat Bagtyyarov, who was in command in the snatch (114 kgs) and clean and jerk (144 kgs) prior to the Filipino lifter’s effort.

Bagtyyarov couldn’t help but settle for the silver in the total (258 kgs) and the clean and jerk after overwhelming nine other world-class rivals in the snatch. India’s Brum K placed second in the snatch (113 kgs) and took the bronze in the clean and jerk (142kgs).

The success of the SWP, the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s National Sports Association of the Year, had been evolving around the medal feats of its women lifters for quite some time with Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo its biggest star.

Prince Keil delos Santos and Eron Borres changed that perception overnight after outshining everybody else in the men’s 49-kg category in Albania during the weekend. INQ