Two Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) scholars brought home gold and bronze medals in the recently concluded 2021 World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Halmstad, Sweden.

Veronica Ompod and Jane Erasmo from Matag-ob, Leyte bested other powerlifters worldwide when they represented the country during the event on Sept. 23 to 28.
Ompod, a Philippine Team member bagged four golds when all her competitors failed to make the weigh-in in the 43-kilogram (kg) Women’s Junior division.

“I am thankful but at the same time a little upset because my competitors from Georgia and Sri Lanka were disqualified,” said Ompod, 21, in a phone interview on Wednesday.

She bagged the four golds for Squat – 95.0 kg., Bench – 42.5 kg., and Deadlift – 117.5 kg. or a total score of 255 kg.

Ompod is one of the top athletes in Leyte that topped at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in 2017 and won again during the 2018 Asian Powerlifting Championship.

She also placed 1st at the Asian Pacific Championship held in 2019 in her junior years.

She is looking forward to competing again in December at the Asian Championship.

“Hopefully, the Philippine Sports Commission will approve our funding so that I can compete and represent the country,” she added.

Her teammate, Erasmo who competed under 47 kg sub-junior bagged four bronze medals in her category for her first international competition.

She had a neck and neck battle with her competitor from Ukraine.

Both athletes from Matag-ob town are former LSA scholars during their secondary years.

LSA, which started in 2010, is run by the Leyte provincial government, developing local sports talents to enhance grassroots sports in the province.

LSA has since produced athletes now part of the national teams and competed in various international competitions. (PNA)