Filipino weightlifters got off to a shaky start in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Chonburi, Thailand on Saturday, though the youngest member of the team showed great promise.
Teenage weightlifter Jhodie Peralta, 16, fell short of a medal by just a kilogram in the women's 53kg class.
A native of Zamboanga City, Peralta totaled 190kg to finish behind Myanmar’s Yar Naw Ta Boe, who secured the bronze with 191kg.
Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao added a gold to the hosts’ haul with a 204kg total, convincingly beating silver medalist Hoai Huong Nguyen of Vietnam (197kg).
"Sayang nga eh," said Peralta. "Babawi na lang po next time."
Peralta took pride in being the youngest in the field dominated by 25-year-old Khambao, an Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s 49kg division in the 2024 Paris Games.
Nguyen and Boe are 22 and 25, respectively.
Peralta, an Asian Youth Games medalist, was steady throughout the competition, registering the third-best snatch with 85kg and clearing all of her three clean and jerk attempts at 100kg, 103kg, and 105kg.
Her lifts in Thailand were better than her marks in the IWF World Youth and Junior Championships in May in Peru, where she completed a golden sweep in the 55kg category with an 84kg snatch, 104kg clean and jerk, and 188kg total.
"Masaya po kasi hindi ko rin po expect na makukuha ko 'yung 105. Kasi sa training po … 100 pa lang po, nahuhulog na. Kaya hindi ko in-expect na makakaya ko 'yung 105," said Peralta.
"First time ko rin po ito tsaka maganda 'yung performance ko."
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Filipina weightlifter Rosegie Ramos in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, December 13, 2025 at the Chonburi Sports School in Chonburi, Thailand. POC Media
Meanwhile, an emotional Rosegie Ramos registered a Did Not Finish (DNF) after no-lifting three times in the clean and jerk in the women's 48kg division.
A former two-time Asian junior champion, Ramos faltered at 100kg and then twice at 102kg.
On the men’s side, Fernando Agan Jr. placed fifth with a total of 269 in the 60kg division, won by Theerapong Silachai of Thailand, who had 304.
Ramos, a 2024 World Championship bronze medalist, was left in tears after the conclusion of her event, with her last lift, an 83 in the snatch, good for a gold medal had it been a good lift.
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia captured the gold medal with a 184 total, while 2025 world championship bronze winner Thanyathon Sukcharoen of Thailand took the silver with 183. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang of Vietnam placed third with 181.
Ramos, who will turn 22 on Monday, admitted losing her composure when she fouled on her first attempt.
"Naka-feel ako ng kaba at pressure pero as long as kaya kong isipin na kaya ko, may dalawang attempt pa, kaya ko. Kaso nangyari 'yung ganun," said Ramos.
"Kaya po sobrang nasaktan ako sa nangyari kasi fighting for gold ako. Pero hindi ko naman iniisip 'yung medal. Gusto ko lang ma-improve 'yung record ko talaga," said the Zamboanga City, native who has a personal best of 190 kilograms.