GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Zamboanga City and Rizal Province once again flexed their dominance in weightlifting, hauling in more medals on Monday morning in the Batang Pinoy National Championships.

Zamboanga City took home two golds and two silvers, while Rizal collected a gold and a bronze at the Brgy. Labangal Gym, further cementing both delegations as powerhouses in the sport.

Mandigma leads Rizal’s charge in girls’ division

Rizal’s Stephanie Mandigma, a member of the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy, ruled the girls’ 40-kilogram category (13–17 years old) after posting a total lift of 113 kilograms—52 kg in the snatch and 61 kg in the clean and jerk.

Zamboanga’s Darine Krist Gaña came in second with 105 kg, while Mandigma’s teammate Mary Joy Beralde settled for bronze at 104 kg.

“Thankful ako na naging coach ko si Ma’am Hidilyn, dahil kung wala sila, hindi ko makukuha ang gold. Sila ang nag-inspire sa akin,” said the 14-year-old Mandigma, who credited her mentor for guiding her toward success.

“Nakita ko sa weightlifting ang pinaka-sport ko na makatutulong sa akin sa mga pangarap ko,” she added.

Cue, Sabban lift Zamboanga to gold-silver finish

In the boys’ 12-year-old category, Zamboanga’s Kyle Nathan Cue and Al-Fhadzrhey Sabban, both cousins, pulled off a 1–2 finish. Cue lifted a total of 150 kg (65 kg + 85 kg), while Sabban finished close behind with 140 kg (60 kg + 80 kg).

The duo are grandchildren of former national weightlifter Reynerio Hipolito, who competed for the Philippines in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

“[Winning gold] inspires me to be better so I can become the next Olympian of the Philippines,” said Cue.

Meanwhile, the swimming competition at the Antonio Acharon Sports Complex saw another nine records broken on its second day, matching the record-breaking performance from opening day.

Malabon City’s Sophia Rose Garra won the girls’ 200m backstroke with a new personal best of 2:25.24, nearly five seconds faster than her old mark. Von Andrei Piñon of Rizal also reset the boys’ 200m backstroke record with 2:18.20, surpassing Arvin Naeem Taguinota II’s previous record.

Other gold medalists included Edward Dylan Plaza of Negros Oriental, FJ Catherine Cruz of Mabalacat City, Liv Abigail Florendo of Quezon City, and Aishel Cid Evangelista of Manila.

After two days of competition, Manila leads the overall medal tally with 14 medals (six golds, five silvers, and three bronzes), followed by Pasig City with 12 and Quezon City with nine. Host General Santos City is in fourth place, while Iloilo City rounds out the top five.

Competitions continue Tuesday across multiple venues in what is shaping up to be the biggest and most competitive edition of the Batang Pinoy National Championships yet.