I was at Ayala Center Cebu last weekend when I heard loud “thuds” at the Terraces. I checked what was going on and saw some familiar faces, including Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy and Bernard Ricablanca of the University of Cebu.
I thought it was a Cesafi event but it turns out, it was the National Students Weightlifting Championships and Women’s Open invitational. Organized by the Cebu Weightlifting Association, the event had as special guest, Hidilyn Diaz, who won a silver medal in Olympics in Rio.
Tiukinhoy, who heads the Cebu Weightlifting Association, called the event their “lift of faith,” since they basically had to knock and friends for sponsorship.
Though weightlifting ended our medal drought in the Olympics, there seems to be a drought of sort of weightlifting events, prodding CWA to hold its own championships without the assistance of the national sport association.
It wasn’t just an ordinary event though as the winners would be sent to the Universiade, the Olympics for students.
Rowell Garcia, 18, and Elreen Ann Ando, 20, got the men’s and women’s spots for the Universiade after topping their divisions.
Weightlifting is now a part of Cesafi and Tiukinoy hopes that will help the sport grow in Cebu since scholarships will be offered. I remember a time when there were regular 5 and 1 events at Baseline, the home of the sport in Cebu for decades.
It is sad though that after the initial euphoria over Diaz’s victory, the sport hasn’t really taken off in the country. The Olympian is holding her own tournaments and various clinics to help discover new talents and she even joined the Philippine National Games last summer to encourage other lifters to challenge their limits.
I think Diaz’s success in Rio, aside from ending our medal drought in the Olympics, also saved the sport from the doldrums and CWA thinks that by holding more events for the students, they can discover the next Hidilyn.
“Sayang ang momentum ni Hidilyn kung dili ta mag-organize,” said Tiukinhoy, who added he asked help from friends to help stage the event. “Malay mo, maka una pa ta sa boxing, individual events nga maka gold sa Olympics.”
Now that would be something, another “lift of faith.”