Astana: The Philippines celebrated a triumphant conclusion to its campaign at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, securing two additional medals on Sunday. The event, held at the Qazaqstan Arena, witnessed Albert Ian Delos Santos from Zamboanga City winning the gold medal in the Junior men's 71 kg. category by lifting 177 kg. in the clean and jerk.
According to Philippines News Agency, Delos Santos, who comes from a lineage of national lifters-being the son of Alvin and Diwa-also achieved a total lift of 313 kg., earning him a silver medal. He placed fifth in the snatch category with a lift of 136 kg. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's Diyorbek Ruzmetov claimed the gold medals in both the snatch (142 kg.) and total (319 kg.), with his compatriot Boburmirzo Yokubov taking the bronze in snatch (139 kg.). Kazakhstan's Alikhan Askerbay secured the silver in snatch (141 kg.) and bronzes in both the clean and jerk (169 kg.) and total (310 kg.).
The Filipino weightlifting team, with support from the Philippine Sports Commission, is returning home with a total of 16 medals. Among the notable achievements, Angeline Colonia stood out with a gold medal in snatch in the Junior women's 48 kg. category. Other medalists included Jhodie Peralta, Jerick Icon Castro, Princess Ann Diaz, and Alexsandra Ann Diaz, contributing to the overall success of the team.
The competition categories were divided into Youth, for athletes aged 13 to 17, and Junior, for those aged 15 to 20. Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president Monico Puentevella expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement for those who did not medal. He highlighted the need to compete against strong teams like China, with an eye on future competitions such as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
This success follows the Philippines' impressive performance last May at the International Weightlifting Federation Youth and Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru, where they captured 10 gold medals.
