Elreen Ando competes in the Asian Weightlifting Championships women’s 64kg category at the Husnan Sports Park in Zhejiang, China on Sunday (May 11, 2025). She finished second behind Chinese Li Shuang while Korean Mun Minhee was third. (Photo courtesy of Asian Weightlifting Federation)
The Philippines earned a total of 14 medals — seven silver and seven bronze — during the Asian Weightlifting Championships held Sunday night at Husnan Sports Park in Zhejiang, China.
Olympian Elreen Ann Ando of Cebu led the charge, claiming three silver medals in the women’s 64kg division. Ando lifted a combined total of 232kg, with 102kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk. China’s Li Shuang swept the golds in the category with lifts of 105kg (snatch), 134kg (clean and jerk), and a 239kg total. Korea’s Mun Minhee secured bronze with a 214kg total (94-120).
Adding to the medal haul, Rosegie Ramos of Zamboanga City secured another trio of silver medals in the women’s 49kg division with a total lift of 197kg (90kg snatch, 107kg clean and jerk). Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen topped the event with 200kg (91-109), while China’s Xiang Linxiang took third with 189kg (86-103).
In the men’s 55kg category, Fernando Agad Jr. of Cebu delivered a silver medal performance in the clean and jerk with a 141kg lift. He placed fourth overall with a 254kg total (113kg snatch). China’s Wang Weidong dominated the category with 265kg (119-146), followed by Vietnam’s Gia Thanh Lai (260kg) and Saudi Arabia’s Mansour Al Saleem (254kg).
Veteran lifter Kristel Macrohon, a SEA Games gold medalist and former Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games bronze medalist, is scheduled to compete on Tuesday.
“Asia continues to dominate Olympic weightlifting. Winning a silver here could open doors to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” said Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella in an online interview. “We still have three years to prepare. The more competitions our athletes join, the better their chances.”