Asian tilt uncovers potential LA 2028 gems

Team Philippines will fly back to Manila with an extra freight of 25 medals after an impressive haul from the just-concluded Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha, Qatar.

But the threat of other countries picking up steam to get ahead of the competition looms ahead.

“As expected, other Asian countries like India and Vietnam, among others, are fast catching up, so we have to do more,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told the Inquirer.

Aldrin Colonia, who comes from a bloodline of Olympians, plucked two gold medals in the clean and jerk and total in the men’s youth 49-kilogram category plus a silver in the snatch.

Jhodie Peralta, discovered from Zamboanga City together with Colonia, also claimed two golds (snatch and total) and added a silver (clean and jerk) in the women’s youth 55kg.

Five golds

Eron Borres of Cebu City secured a gold in the snatch in the same category as Colonia but suffered from cramps in the clean and jerk event.

“It’s a successful campaign, which serves as tryouts for the team to the [2028] Los Angeles Olympics,” said Puentevella.

Overall, the Philippines bagged five golds, seven silvers and six bronze medals, winding up third in the youth category after Vietnam (9-10-6) and India (6-2-4).

The national squad backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, MVPSF, Ayala Land, ICTSI and SM ended up fifth in the juniors division with three silvers and four bronzes, finishing behind Vietnam, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Turkmenistan.

“Based on these results, we have to intensify our efforts,” said Puentevella, while also thanking the parents and coaches. The weightlifting chief will sit down with PSC Chair Richard Bachmann for their plans next year.

Next year’s youth and junior championships will be hosted by Kazakhstan. Lifters aged 13 to 17 are entered in the youth division while the junior category caters to lifters 15 to 20 years old.

It was through weightlifting that the Philippines won its first gold medal in the Olympics courtesy of Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Every athlete we brought to the Asian championships won a medal, 15 of them,” said Puentevella.

Prince Keil Delos Santos similarly had multiple medals, bagging three silvers in the men’s youth 55kg division and three bronze medals in the junior class.

Promising lifters Althea Bacaro, Princess Jay Ann Diaz, Alexsandra Diaz, Angeline Colonia and Rosalinda Faustino likewise contributed to the collection.