Ten boys and six girls now form Catanduanes’ first weightlifting team in the elementary level, some of whom will compete in the Palarong Bicol.
Last Feb. 3-4, 2023, the Catanduanes Schools Division Office conducted the 1st Weightlifting Demonstration and Tournament for Elementary Level at the ARDCI Sky Gym 360 with the theme “Dare to Lift: Basta Catandunganon Uragon Asin Makusugon.”
Most of the entries from Viga, Caramoran, Virac and San Miguel made good lifts, with some of them visibly struggling to complete the snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts.
Still, the sport’s coaches, led by Jhon Paulo Gianan, deemed the competition a success, with Viga declared as overall champion.
Here are the official results of the first-ever weightlifting tournament on the island for elementary pupils:
Overall (Combination of Snatch and Clean and Jerk) for Male
27 kg and below: Champion – Tjay Dagoy of Viga
27.1- 32 kg: Champion – Angel Vega of Viga; 1st runner-up – Kyle Arcilla of Virac; and 2nd runner-up – Laurence Eusebio – Caramoran
32.1-37 kg: Champion – Laurence Antonio of Caramoran; 1st runner-up – John Rion Tubeo of Viga; and 2nd runner-up – Brix Senar of Caramoran
37 kg and above: Champion – Marwin Vega of Viga; 1st runner-up – John Edrian Cadag of San Miguel; and
2nd runner-up – Romel Tabera of Virac.
Overall (Combination of Snatch and Clean and Jerk) for Female
26.1 – 30kg: Champion – Mary Rose Morales of Viga
30.1-35 kg: Champion- Lexi Talion of Caramoran; 1st runner-up – Shaira Tuboro of Viga; and 2nd runner-up – Hyuna Rodulfo of Viga
35.1-37 kg: Champion – Sunshine Gomez of Viga
37kg and up: Champion – Andrea Chavez of Caramoran
The sport’s journey to where it is now started last November 2021 when four representatives from the Bicol region attended the Virtual First Department of Education Weightlifting Coaching Seminar, with one of them from Catanduanes, Jhon Paulo Gianan.
The four conducted a face-to-face Regional Weightlifting Coaching Seminar at Naga College Foundation in March 2022 for teachers from the six provinces.
The following month, the Weighlifting Team Catanduanes Trainers conducted a Division Coaching Seminar in Weightlifting for elementary teachers and secondary teachers at barangay plaza of Calatagan Proper.
Fourteen males and a female student of Catanduanes National High School (CNHS) entered the 1st Weightlifting Competition as part of the CNHS Intramurals on Nov. 17, 2022, with the events held at Buffalo Gym in Calatagan Tibang.
By the month’s end, the selection of the Virac team was also conducted at the same gym for five students from Antipolo National High School and five from CNHS.
At the Provincial Meet Competition in Weightlifting on Dec. 3, 2022 at the same venue, Virac ruled the boys’ division, with San Andres dominating the girls’ event.
Coach Gianan told the Tribune that for the December competition, they had to raise funds to pay for the P40 per session fee charged per student for the training and the P500 per hour rental of the gym for the competition itself.
He said the entire team is thankful to ARDCI Microfinance Corporation for offering free use of its Sky Gym 360 every Saturday and Sunday for the training of the team, with the division office providing lunch and snacks.
The team’s chief handler said that like all entries in individual events, the weightlifting team will go straight to the Palarong Bicol.
Members of the Catanduanes delegation who are entered in team events will have to fight for spots in the Palaro in a cluster competition with the Tabaco City and Legazpi City divisions.
In the Pre-National Qualifying Meet for team sports intended to lessen the number of delegations, Bicol region is in Cluster 2 together with CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and NCR.