Lifters confident of better finish in Asian tourney

The Philippines stands to win more gold medals in the 2006 Asian Bench Press Championships, which kicks off this weekend at the Bayview Park Hotel.

With Richie Rosales spearheading the 65-man RP team competing in a total of 21 weight classes for men and women, the Filipinos are confident they can surpass the one gold, three silver medals they won in the 2002 edition of the biennial meet held in India.

"We have more chance of winning gold medals this time," said Powerlifting Association of the Philippines (PAP) president Dominic Cabalza in the weekly PSA Forum at the Bayview Hotel where the Aug. 19-20 meet was formally launched yesterday.

Rosales, the Philippines’ strongest man, accounted for the country’s lone gold in India four years ago.

Rosales was also in the public sports program sponsored by Pagcor, the Manila City government and Manila Sports Council (Masco), together with Paul Kelso of powerlifting USA International magazine, deputy tournament director Jacqueline Tan and Marie Jean Cordero, director of sales and marketing of Bayview Park Hotel.

Being tournament director, coach and player at the same time, Rosales admitted he is hard-pressed to duplicate his gold medal feat in 2002. "Although I will try my best to win again," he said.

But he pointed out that the host country is capable of winning as many as 20 gold medals since the 163 lifters from a record eight countries will be vying in six different divisions, namely men master 3 (ages 60-up), women and men master 2 (ages 50-59), women and men master 1 (ages 40-49), women and men sub-junior (ages 14-18), women and men junior (ages 19-23) and women and men senior/open (ages 14-up).

In all, more than 60 gold medals are at stake.