By Graham C. Lim
CEBU—The search for the top weightlifters in the country conducted by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines was held last Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum Weightlifting Gym, where seven hopefuls topped in their respective weight categories.
Of the seven, only one was a female contestant in Annalou Polistico who had a best lift of 40 kg in the snatch and a 50 kg in the clear and jerk.
The rest of the participants of the weightlifting tryouts billed as the 2nd National Students Weightlifting Championships, serves as qualifying round to the 29th Summer Universiade in Taipei this coming Aug. 19 to 30.
While only Polistico braved to join the tryouts in the female division hoping her talent would be discovered, it turned out that the most promising female weightlifter in the country could still be known in a year’s time as 17-year-old Elreen Ann Ando of Hipodromo, Cebu City and a 3rd year high high school student of UC, is close to following the footsteps of Rio de Janeiro Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
Ando just acted as loader in last Saturday’s event as she is not yet qualified to join the tryout because the age limit is at least 18-25 years old.
But according to technical announcer Danny Catingub, an official of the Cebu Weightlifting Association, who is closely monitoring the progress of Ando’s training, he said that Ando can easily become the country’s best female weightlifter if given the proper exposure. Catingub added that Diaz had all praises on Ando, saying the teenager can also do what she did in the Rio Olympics.
Ando, who has the same weight category of Diaz at 53 kg., can lift 110 kg. in the clear and jerk, while Diaz cleared only 98 kg. in that momentous day in Rio, where she won the silver medal for the country, the first medal for the country after 20 years.
Those who showed their best in their respective weight categories in the men’s division were Clark Cuico (56- kg. cat), Arvin Iba (69 kg cat), Elie Perez (69kg cat), Rue Collen Pabuaya (85 kg cat), Kurk Kuffka Abala (94 kg cat), and Kevin Renzo Nisnisan (105+kg cat).
Cuico had the best lift of 90 kg in the snatch and had 120 kg in the clear and jerk, while Iba had 80 kg in snatch and 105 kg in the clear and jerk.
On the other hand, Perez, the lone participant from Bohol made the most impressive performance as he lifted 87 kg in the snatch and had a mind-boggling 122 kg in the clear and jerk.
The tryout was supervised by FESSAP national secretariat Cecille Sarmiento and FESSAP Weightlifting Club member Kelly Rojas, Cebu Weightlifting Association chairman and also FESSAP Vice President Atty. Baldomero C. Estenzo, University of San Jose Recoletos Coach Ramon Solis and chairman of the Philippine Weightlifting Association’s Mark Alino.
David Ong, FESSAP president, through its Executive Committee designated Alvin Tai Lian, the FESSAP Chairman of the Board is also the Philippines’ Head of Delegation which approve sending players to the Taipei Universiade, the biggest gathering of students-athletes around the world held once in every two years.