University of Cebu athletic director Jessica Honoridez (middle) is flanked by Elreen Ando (left) and coach Ramon Solis (right). | contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebuana Elreen Ando may be a first-timer in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics but one of her coaches believes she stands a chance against her competitors in the prestigious meet.
Coach Ramon Solis, a veteran international weightlifter who has represented the Philippines numerous times in different international competitions, has been training Ando relentlessly together with fellow coach Gary Hortelano ever since the the Cebuana qualified for the Olympics last June.
Solis says the 22-year-old Ando out of Barangay Carreta has improved her game a lot.
“Ang nakita nako ni Elreen nga improvement as a whole gikan atong nag training mi for Olympic mao ang iyang speed, explosiveness, strength, technique sa alsa, ug ang iyang built sa lawas,” said Solis.
(The improvements I’ve seen from Elreen since we trained for the Olympics is her speed, explosiveness, strength, technique in lifting, and her body build.)
Although Ando had roughly a month to prepare for the meet, Solis said they were still able to do what was needed, thanks to the support from the local government and the University of Cebu, where she is a varsity player.
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“Ang training nga akong gihatag niya kay focused kaayo sa technique, apil na sad ang endurance ug strength,” Solis said.
(The training I gave her was very focused on technique, endurance, and strength.)
Solis and Ando left for Manila last Tuesday evening, July 13, 2021, to start their mandatory quarantine with the rest of the Philippine team for the Tokyo Olympics at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.
Ando, a silver medalist of the Southeast Asian Games, will compete in the women’s 64kg division scheduled on July 27.
Solis said that realistically, their main goal is to break Ando’s records in the 64kg division, which is the country’s best.
“What I am after now is that she can break the Philippine record. Hopefully, she also qualifies for the coming 2024 Olympics,” said Solis.
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Solis said that there are a lot of strong contenders in Ando’s weight class, picking Canada, Colombia, Great Britain, Ecuador, Chinese Taipei and Cuba as the favorites.
“The best advise that I can give her right now is to focus and enjoy the game. And pray that she doesn’t get injured.”
/bmjo