Young Yulo catches attention of Japanese coach

MANILA, Philippines —  World class Japanese coach Hiraoki Sato has taken interest in the younger brother of world champion gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo – Karl Eldrew – and promised to take him in after he retires from his Japan national coaching duties.

Sato saw the 14-year-old Yulo when the former visited the country early this year and vowed to take the latter under his wing and train him in Australia after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“He (Sato) told me ‘as soon as I get to Australia, bring him to me and I will teach him,’” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion, sharing his talk with the Japanese coach.

Sato, of course, is the Japanese men’s artistic gymnastics coach and is the personal mentor of former world and Olympic champion Kohei Uchimura, who happens to be the idol of Eldrew’s older sibling Caloy.

Eldrew, for his part, is itching to make it to the national team.

He would have to wait for his turn though as he could only don the national colors at 18 years old, which is still four years away.

“My dream is to be with my brother in the 2028 (Los Angeles) Olympics,” said Eldrew.

For now, Eldrew is just happy to grow taller than the 4-11 Caloy by an inch.

“I’m now taller than him by an inch because I stopped training for a few months. But now I’m back on the grind,” he said.