Elreen Ann Ando, the pride of Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, bagged three medals (2 silvers and one bronze) in the women’s 64kg division of the ongoing Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. | photo from Gary Hortelano via Glendale G. Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The pride of Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, Elreen Ann Ando bagged three medals in the ongoing Asian Weightlifting Championships late night Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The 22-year-old Ando, one of the best weightlifters of the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, bagged two silver medals and one bronze medal in the 64-kilogram division.
The Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) silver medalist, who is also a product of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) grassroots development program, lifted a total of 213 kilograms in the women’s 64kg division.
Ando’s best snatch was 94kg to earn her the bronze medal while her best clean and jerk was 119kg to bag her second silver medal.
Wen-Huei Chen of Chinese-Taipei lifted a total of 228kg for the gold. Rounding off the top three is Republic of Korea’s Sojin Han, who lifted a total of 211kg.
Ando competed against eight other competitors from Japan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and China.
Ando, is one of the four Cebuanos who are now in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Fellow Cebuanos John Febuar Ceniza and John Dexter Tabique are currently competing as of this posting and they are supervised by their Cebuano coach Gary Hortelano.
Read: 3 Cebuano weightlifters to compete in Asian Weightlifting Championships
The 22-year-old Ceniza is competing in the men’s 61kg category while the 19-year old Tabique vies in the 96kg division.
The Philippine weightlifting team currently has six medals (five silvers, and one bronze). Mary Flor Diaz, the cousin of Olympic-bound Hidilyn Diaz won three silver medals in the women’s 45kg division.
CCSC Chairman Edward Hayco, who initiated the CCSC grassroots training program, already congratulated the three Cebuano weightlifters days before Ando won the medals.
“It is very fulfilling because it is very difficult to establish a grassroots program in other sports we are not familiar with. So far, I’m very proud to see these weightlifters who came to our grassroots program when they were very young and look at them now, they are in the in an international competition,” said Hayco.
/bmjo