00:00In the world of powerlifting, not only the athletes are the stars.
00:06Behind every successful and safe barbell lift,
00:10are the spotters and loaders who serve as silent heroes
00:15to maintain the safety and order of every competition.
00:19If you're wondering who they are,
00:22the spotters are the professional individuals
00:25positioned around the lifter
00:28to provide immediate assistance if the athlete struggles to lift
00:33while the loaders are responsible for placing the right weight on the barbell.
00:38In the PTV Sports interview,
00:40Powerlifting Association of the Philippines' former president, Eddie Torres,
00:45told of an event that proves how important the role of spotters and loaders is.
00:54We hosted the Asian Championships about maybe 10 years ago.
00:58There was a lifter from another country.
01:02He dropped 285 kilos from his squat.
01:07But our loaders caught it mid-air and turned it over.
01:12If you have less experience, it will fall to the floor
01:16and the competition will slow down because the plates will be removed to replace it.
01:20Maybe that's a world record.
01:24Their weight is 285 kilos.
01:27But the loaders, they have to trust each other.
01:31Because if someone hesitates, it will fall.
01:33Not a single person can jump.
01:37Aside from this,
01:38who would have thought that the country's strongest man in the Philippines
01:42since the 1990s until the early 2000s,
01:45Eddie Torres, has also tried to be a spotter and a loader.
01:52More than 30 years ago, I was a loader.
01:54I was a volunteer.
01:57Of course, we were still full of energy when we were young.
02:01It's enjoyable.
02:02It's enjoyable to jump.
02:03It's tiring.
02:06But you enjoy it afterwards.
02:07The camaraderie of everyone,
02:09getting together after to enjoy the get-together.
02:13That's part of the whole thing about being an official.
02:19It's not just in competition but out of competition.
02:23In the important role of spotters and loaders,
02:26it's also good to give them the opportunity
02:29to give confidence and motivation
02:32for each lifter to succeed in their activities.
02:36Paulo Salamatin for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
02:42Pambansang TV
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