ANOTHER Yulo might see action for the country in the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok next year.
No, it won’t be Karl Eldrew, the younger brother of two-time world champion Carlos Edriel, but Eliza Andriel, who will turn 16 in October 2025 and will be eligible to compete as a senior women’s artistic gymnast in the regional games.
Karl Eldrew, 16, won’t be able to see action yet, needing to be 18 before he can compete in the SEA Games.
National women’s artistic gymnastics coach Naomi Soco raised the possibility that the oldest and the youngest of the gymnastics-performing Yulos would compete side-by-side in Bangkok, something rare in sports.
“Iza (Yulo’s nickname) will be 16 in October next year so she meets the minimum requirement for seniors (women’s) play,” said Soco, who scouted for fresh talents for the national WAG pool in the recent Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City.
The petite athlete emerged as the most bemedalled gymnast in the Cebu provincial capital in the high school girls’ division with five golds — the team and individual all-around, floor exercise, uneven bars and floor exercise — and a silver in the vault.
National men’s artistic gymnastics squad head coach Reyland Capellan, who has taken the athlete under his wing, noted that Eliza needs more polishing and consistency in her execution, citing the vault in the Palaro when she landed with her hands on the mat on her first try.
This mistake cost her a 0.10 penalty, which relegated her to second behind Central Luzon’s Tallula Adrien Nadres who scored 11.650 to the latter’s 11.775.
“Dapat maging malinis pa ang mga performances ni Iza. But given time, she is bound to be even better,” Capellan, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist and protégé of celebrated Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, said.
