A historic lift: Ando ends Cebu’s 32-year SEAG weightlifting gold medal drought
Elreen Ando and coach Ramon Solis. | Photo from Ando’s FB page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The record-setting gold medal lift of Elreen Ando in the women’s -59-kilogram division of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) was the first gold medal for someone who came from Cebu since 1991.
This was according to one of Ando’s coaches, Ramon Solis, who is the last weightlifter from Cebu to win a gold medal in the SEA Games.
The 63-year-old national weightlifting coach won the gold medal in the Manila SEA Games in 1991 by topping the men’s 90kg division.
“Dako kaayo ni nakong kalipay para niya kay nakuha jud niya ug balik ang gold medal kay ang last naka gold medal nga taga Cebu ako pa pag 1991. Taas-taas gyud ang panahon nga atong gipaabot para mahitabo ni,” Solis told CDN Digital.
“Nakaduwa ko ug SEA Games from 1981 to 1991, ako ang gold medalists ato nga mga events. Pag abot sa 1993, nisulod na ang mga injuries so nihinay nako, until naka decide ko mag coaching pag 2002. Usa pa, ang weightlifting sa Pilipinas ato nga time medyo nihinay tungod sa doping issues, nawad-an ug gana ang mga taw sa sport,” he added.
Solis explained that many sports stakeholders lost interest in weightlifting after it was hounded by doping issues. Until, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) strengthened in policing its ranks.
“Daghan naapektuhan lain-lain nga lugar atong panahona mao to nihinay ang weightlifting. Kita mga Filipino purely ug naturally atong gigamit nga kusog, kumpara sa uban nga mga nasud nga nag doping. Gubot kaayo to ug daghan ang corruption. Maayo na lang ug nabalik ang interes sa mga taw sa weightlifting ug nakadaog na gyud ug balik ang taga Cebu nga weightlifter pa gyud namo. So dako kaayo ko ug pasalamat ug proud kaayo ko ni Ando,” added Solis who accompanied Ando in last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Elreen Ando and coach Christopher Bureros. | Photo from Ando’s Facebook page
Besides Solis, Christopher Bureros, one of Ando’s coaches in Cebu, was also very proud of her achievement in the 32nd SEAG.
“As one of her coaches, of course I feel proud of her achievements. She only not bring her name at the top but she brought the entire Philippine nation into the limelight of Weightlifting. She is one of Pinoy PRIDE, I must say,” said Bureros who accompanied Ando during the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Korea prior to the SEA Games.
It was a sweet redemption for Ando after exiting early in the World Weightlifting Championships last December in Bogota, Colombia after getting injured.
As her coach, Bureros was on her side motivating her to get back into shape and train for SEA Games and the Asian Championships.
“Ando is such a strong person. She is a very determined person.She never stop until she gets or hits her goal.She never easily gets discouraged when things get tough. Instead,she sees every failure as an apportunity to grow,an apportunity to do even better,” added Bureros.
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