CEBU, Philippines - A crack team of Cebuano lifters under the banner of Cebu Weightlifting Association (CWA) opened their respective bids on a bright note, hauling in five golds and a silver medal in the POC-PSC Philippine National Games (PNG) 2013 National Men and Women Weightlifting Championships the other night at the University of the East (UE) gymnasium.
The decorated Kelly Kay Rojas from the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) spearheaded Team Cebu City/CWA's charge with two gold medals in the collegiate and women's open 53 kgs. division spiced up with three national records.
Rojas shattered Olympian Hidilyn Diaz's record in the women's open clean and jerk, from 88 kgs. to 89 kgs. She also erased fellow Cebuana Emily Rojas' mark in the collegiate snatch of 65 kgs. with her 66 kgs. lift and the clean and jerk from 80 to 82 kgs.
Rojas' total output of 155 kgs. is also a national mark in the women's open.
On the other hand, Clark Cuico snared a pair of golds plus two national records through the 46 kgs. youth and secondary category.
Cuico hauled 82 kgs. in the clean and jerk, way better than the previous mark of 76 kgs. established by Edmund del Rosario. His total lift of 140 kgs. also eclipsed Del Rosario's old record of 139 kgs. in both the secondary and youth division.
Angelica Lado contributed the fifth gold for Team Cebu City/CWA via the women's open +75 kgs. class, while UC's Romeo Omnus turned over the lone silver in the 56 kgs. collegiate division.
Team Cebu City/CWA coach Ramon Solis, a two-time Olympian, said six more Cebuanos are set to compete in this 5-in-1 national battle and all of them are expected to pull some surprises.
Meanwhile, CWA is a newly-formed organization that aims to promote further the sport not only here in Cebu but also in the entire Visayas and Mindanao region. It is currently headed by businessman-sportsman Felix "Boy" O. Tiukinhoy, Jr., who is also the commissioner of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI). (FREEMAN)