Albert Ian delos Santos’ three-gold medal haul in the Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Tashkent was more than another triumph for the Philippines — it was a declaration that he is ready to take on the continent’s strongest lifters.

Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told DAILY TRIBUNE that Delos Santos has emerged as a serious medal threat in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya after setting new Asian and world junior records in the men’s 70-kilogram junior division on Tuesday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Delos Santos, a Southeast Asian Games silver medalist who celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday, lifted 180kgs in the clean and jerk and 321kgs in total to erase the previous Asian and world junior clean and jerk records of 179kgs while his total surpassed the Asian mark of 316kgs and the world junior record of 318kgs.

Then, he posed 141-kg lift in snatch, which was enough to complete his golden sweep and fire a warning shot for the rest the Asian Games field.

Puentevella said he was no longer surprised to see the superb performance of the rising star from Zamboanga —the same province that produced the country’s first Olympic gold medalist in Hidilyn Diaz.

“We’re now watching another Olympian in the making. He broke the Asian Junior records on his birthday,” Puentevella said in an online conversation.

“It makes him a threat in the forthcoming Asian Games in Nagoya. Thanks to his mama Diwa, who’s our national coach, and late papa Alvin, also an Asian Games lifter.”

Mehrab Davasari of Iran settled for two silver medals after lifting 165kgs in the clean and jerk and 299kgs in total.

Yash Vinod Khandagale of India won bronze in total with 298kgs and silver in the snatch with 140kgs.

Delos Santos’ brilliant performance lifted the Philippines’ medal haul to 16 golds, six silvers and nine bronze medals across the youth and junior divisions.

In the youth division, Althea Bacaro won two gold medals in the women’s 45kg category after lifting 83kgs in the clean and jerk and posting a 146kgs total.

Diaz’s niece, Alexsandra Diaz, ruled the women’s 49kg division with three golds after lifting 77kgs in the snatch, 92kgs in the clean-and-jerk and 169kgs in total.

Jhodie Peralta added two golds in the women’s 53kg division after topping the snatch with 86kgs and posting a 102kgs total.

Jerick Icon Castro completed a three-gold sweep in the men’s 60kg category with 116kgs in the snatch, 144kgs in the clean-and -jerk and 260kgsin total.

In the junior division, Prince Kiel delos Santos won gold in the men’s 60kg snatch with a 120kgs lift, while Peralta added another gold in the women’s 53kg snatch with 86kgs.

Angeline Colonia also contributed gold after topping the women’s 49kg snatch with 80kgs.

Puentevella believes the performances in Tashkent are proof that a new generation of Filipino lifters is ready to compete on the world stage.

“This is the future of Philippine weightlifting. Some of these kids will reach the Olympics. Because in my opinion, if you don’t win a medal, you stay behind in the province. If you win a medal, you travel,” Puentevella said.

“I’m thankful to everybody, especially the national coaches, who are world-class as far as I’m concerned, and the parents.”

The Philippines’ medal hunt continues as Rhianne Cabalida and Jea Mae Palagtiw aim to add to the national team’s haul in the women’s 69kg and 77kg youth divisions, respectively, as of press time.