GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The National Weightlifting Championships of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP), hosted in General Santos City, was officially canceled following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The competition, held at General Santos Foundation College Inc., was halted as safety concerns mounted. Around 300 athletes from different parts of the country had gathered in the city to compete under youth, junior, and senior divisions, with winners set to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games.
Among those affected were members of the Cebu City weightlifting delegation led by Olympian coaches Ramon Solis and Christopher Bureros. Despite the disruption, Cebu lifters managed to secure three gold medals before the competition was canceled.
Luis Yaeso clinched gold in the boys 9-10 age category with a total lift of 80 kilograms. Akira Catingub also struck gold in the girls 9-11 division with a 75kg total. Meanwhile, world championships-bound Althea Bacaro dominated the 45kg category with a total lift of 146 kilograms.
General Santos City Sports and Games Division Chief Lady Manalo had earlier noted that the local government was working on providing billeting areas for athletes. The competition was originally scheduled to run from June 8 to 12.
The cancellation is a significant loss for the local sports community, but safety remains the top priority as the city recovers. GenSan has a growing reputation as a host city for national sporting events, and the hope is that the competition can be rescheduled.
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