Games-Filipino weightlifter Delos Santos carries late father's legacy onto Asiad podium

Asian junior ‌champion ​Albert Delos Santos immersed himself in weightlifting after the death of his father-coach Alvin, turning to the sport they shared as a refuge from grief.

On Saturday, the 20-year-old Filipino paid tribute to ‌his dad after climbing the Asian Games podium in Nagoya for an emotional bronze medal in the 70kg category. It continued a strong family legacy in weightlifting, with both his parents national weightlifters and his sister Dessa having represented the Philippines in Jakarta eight years ago.

“My sister competed ‌at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and now being here is like a full circle. And my dad back in ‌the 90s, this is legacy given to me," he said at Fukiage Hall in Nagoya. Alvin Delos Santos, a Southeast Asian Games medallist in the 1990s, died of liver cancer in March, leaving son Albert grief-stricken ahead of the junior world championships in Egypt.

"Since my dad passed, I dug myself into training," said Delos Santos. INJURY ⁠SETBACK

He had ​a setback with an injury before ⁠the Egypt event but ended up grinding through to the gold medal. On the podium, he took out a photo of his dad from his jacket to honour ⁠his life.

Asked what he would say to his father after taking the Asian Games bronze, Delos Santos said: "Thank you, and I love you." Delos Santos, who ​finished third behind North Korean gold medallist Ri Won Ju and Japan's Masanori Miyamoto, said his 183kg lift in the clean ⁠and jerk was particularly satisfying after struggling to lift 170kg in the buildup.

"I had such some rough days before competition, but when I got here and started training, ⁠I ​felt good," he said. "Everything is possible, as long as you get up from bed, get out from the couch."

In the late session at the weightlifting, Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah took the middleweight 75kg gold ahead of Thai silver medallist Weeraphon Wichuma, the Paris ⁠Olympics 73kg runner-up, and North Korea's bronze-winner Ri Chong Song. Abdullah hoisted 160kg in the snatch and 206kg in the clean and jerk ⁠for a total of 366kg, all ⁠world records in the recently established weight category.

"It feels much bigger than the last time. I don't know, but it feels bigger. The pressure -- and because now I have son and wife at ‌home supporting me," said ‌Abdullah, who took the 73kg bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.