Asian Youth champion Angeline Colonia of Zamboanga City will lead the Philippine campaign in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Youth World Championships set March 25 to April 1 at the Ramazan Njala Sports Complex in Durres, a port city in western Albania.
Angeline, the youngest sister of 2016 Rio Olympics veteran Nestor Colonia, set a new record of 62 kilograms in the snatch when she ruled the women’s 45-kg category in the Asian Youth Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last year. She also erased the 2018 World Youth record of 61 kgs.
Joining her in the Albania trip are Asian Youth gold medal winner Rosalinda Faustino (women’s 55 kg) and bronze medalist Patrick Keil Delos Santos of Angono, Rizal (men’s 49 kg), Eron Borres of Cebu City (men’s 49 kg) and Albert Ian Delos Santos of Zamboanga City (men’s 61 kg), who saw action at the 2021 World Youth Championships in Saudi Arabia.
They will leave on March 12 together with coaches Gregorio Colonia, a 1988 Seoul Olympics veteran, and former national team member Diwa delos Santos.
Rose Jean Ramos from Zamboanga City, the 2021 and 2022 World Youth champion in the women’s 45 kg category, will turn 18 on June this year, making her ineligible to compete in the tournament for athletes 13 to 17 years old.
Meanwhile, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas will hold a qualifying tournament for the Cambodia SEA Games on Feb. 10 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Ramos, Kristel Macrohon (women’s 71 kg), Jane Linete Hipolito (women’s 64 kg) and coaches Antonio Agustin Jr. and Allen Drayfus Diaz arrived last Jan. 23.
The rest of the national athletes, namely; Rosegie Ramos and Lovely Inan (women’s 49 kg), Elreen Ann Ando and Ma. Vanessa Karaan (women’s 59 kg), Margaret Colonia and Annie Rosa Lacastesantos (women’s 64 kg), Vanessa Sarno (women’s 71 kg), Jay-R Colonia (men’s 40 kg), Fernando Agad Jr. and Joefry Frasco (men’s 55 kg), Rowel Garcia and John Febuar Ceniza (men’s 61 kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo and Limrenzer Atolba (men’s 67 kg), Lemon Denmark Tarro (men’s 73 kg), John Kevin Padullo (men’s 89 kg), John Dexter Tabique (men’s +89 kg) and coaches Edmundo Jose Cardano, Nicolas Jaluag, Christopher Bureros, Joe Patrick Diaz, Samuel Alegada and Patrick Lee are expected to arrive this week. (PNA)
