NAGOYA – Team Philippines is not about to slow down now.
Fueled by memory, light and pure heart, weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos delivered an emotional bronze while Olympic boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam punched their way to the quarterfinals – a Philippine blitz to close Week One of the 20th Asian Games.
At the Fukiage Hall inside the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center, Delos Santos proved worthy of being flag-bearer.
The 20-year-old pride of Zamboanga City – champion in the same class at the Asian Youth and Junior Championships – lifted 141kg in snatch and 183kg in clean and jerk for 324kg total in his Asian Games debut in the men’s 70kg division.
It was a podium finish that felt like destiny.
He finished behind North Korea’s Ri Won Ju, who shattered world, Asian Games and Asian records with 151kg snatch and 198kg clean and jerk for 349kg total, and Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto, who settled for silver at 342kg (154-188) despite leading after snatch.
It was a fitting encore to Carlos Yulo’s golden double.
The bronze solidified the Philippines’ hold at No. 14 in the medal table with two golds, two silvers and six bronzes entering Week Two of the Aichi-Nagoya Games. China led the charge at 105-39-25, followed by host Japan at 30-45-47 and South Korea at 13-20-36. Uzbekistan (8-17-9) and Kazakhstan (8-8-18) were neck-and-neck for fourth, while Thailand remained the top Southeast Asian team at 7-6-9.
“That’s Papa”
“Unexpected,” Delos Santos admitted. “Palaging sinasabi ‘have fun, huwag ma-pressure.’ Pero opposite ako, I give myself sobrang pressure.”
That pressure is fueled by love. He carries his late father’s photo in every competition. Every lift is for him.
On this night, he felt Dad Alvin there, and drew extra power for a big finish.
He shattered his own junior world record of 322kg set at the recent Asian Championships – rewriting the junior world and Asian record books twice in one night, with 181kg and then 183kg in clean and jerk.
“Coincidentally, yung lights, hindi ganun ka-bright sa iba. Pero yung platform ko mismo was the brightest,” he said, his voice cracking. “Sabi ko, I’m gonna be sentimental. That’s papa.”
It wasn’t the first time. He recalled a similar moment at the Junior Worlds in Egypt, just two months after his father died.
Petecio, Paalam advance
There were bright lights too at the Nishio Gymnasium, where Petecio and Paalam kept the Philippine boxing charge alive.
Petecio, a two-time Olympic medalist still chasing her first Asiad gold, opened her campaign with a statement – a second-round stoppage of Jordan’s Mays Alreem Abukhadijah in the women’s 60kg.
She twice sent the game Jordanian to a standing eight-count with clean shots to the face before the referee waved it off.
Petecio marched on, with old rival Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei looming in the other bracket. Barring upsets, they collide for gold.
Paalam, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, shook off a year-long layoff to outpoint India’s Jadumani Mandengbam, a Commonwealth Games silver medalist.
Ring rust showed on the cards: 29-27, 29-27 for Paalam, 30-26 for the Filipino, and two 28-28 draws.
“Mahusay din ang Indian, kapag bago gusto nila matalo ang may pangalan na. Nakisabay na lang ako sa kanya sa huling round,” Paalam said.
“First time ko lumaban (this year),” he admitted. “Thankful po ako... nahatak yung endurance ko kahit pagod.”
Paalam next faces China’s Jiamao Zhang for a spot in the semifinals.