Victorious PH lifters get heroes’ welcome

Spearheaded by record-breaking triple-gold medalist Albert Ian Delos Santos, young Filipino lifters dominated the international platform at the 2026 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hauling in an astonishing 16 gold, 6 sikver, 9 bronze medals

Leading the Philippine charge, the 19-year-old Delos Santos swept all three gold medals in the junior men’s 70kg division—ranking first in snatch (141kg), clean and jerk (180kg), and total (321kg)—while setting new Asian and world junior records in the process. Fellow standouts Alexsandra Ann Diaz (niece of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz) and Jerick Icon Castro also delivered triple-gold performances to anchor Team PH’s dominant campaign.

Once local dreamers competing in local venues, these young athletes proved they are now elite international powerhouses, sweeping multiple events and solidifying the country’s status as an Asian weightlifting force.

Following their monumental triumph abroad, the national weightlifting delegation returned home to a warm heroes’ welcome hosted by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Friday.

Despite heavy rain and strong winds, the atmosphere was triumphant as PSC Commissioners Olivia ‘Bong’ G. Coo, Walter Francis K. Torres, and Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston, alongside Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) President Monico Puentevella, officially recognized the athletes and coaching staff.

The PSC highlighted that a vast majority of the medal-winning squad were scouted directly from the agency’s flagship grassroots program, Batangy Pinoy, proving the immense success of the country’s sports development pipeline. — Randy Caluag