THE PHILIPPINES sustained its juggernaut in the Asian Youth and Junior Championships as Rosalinda Faustino and Rosegie Ramos added three gold medals apiece Tuesday to the country’s mighty haul in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Ms. Faustino swept all the mints in the women’s 49-kilogram youth division with lifts of 71 kg in snatch, 90 kg in clean and jerk and 161 kg in total, while Ms. Ramos pulled off the same feat in the 49 kg junior class with 80 kg in snatch, 96 kg in clean and jerk and 176 kg in total.
The pair of spectacular efforts hiked the country’s impressive golden collection of 12 whopping golds.
Four of those mints came from Rosegie’s younger sister, Rose Jean, while the two were delivered by Angeline Colonia days before.
Interestingly, all four hails from Zamboanga, a place that produced Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
And the country is expected to harvest more as Asian seniors and Southeast Asian Games queen Vanessa Sarno, who will see action today.
Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella said this performance is a glimpse of the country’s promising future in the weightlifting.
“We’re looking at Olympians now for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028,” an awed Mr. Puentevella told The STAR. “This country will get more Olympic medals from weightlifting in the future.” — Joey Villar