Hidilyn Diaz | Inquirer photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and three Cebuanos will banner the country’s weightlifting team in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam this May.
The official line-up was bared this afternoon, March 16, by the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) which earlier this month conducted stringent qualifying competitions in various cities around the country.
SWP’s national weightlifting coach Ramon Solis forwarded to CDN Digital the final PH line-up comprised of 12 weightlifters for the biennial meet.
Diaz, who gave the country its first Olympic gold in Tokyo last year, will be vying in the 55-kilogram division.
The 31-year old Diaz recently received the “Athlete of the Year” award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association during the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night at the Diamond Ballroom of the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
Diaz vied in the Manila SEA Games qualifiers on March 10. SWP conducted two other qualifiers in Cebu and Zamboanga.
Three Cebuanos: Elreen Ann Ando, Fernando Agad, and John Dexter Tabique will join Diaz in the PH Team. They qualified during the Cebu qualifying competition held at the University of Cebu (UC) weightlifting facility.
Ando who also competed in the Tokyo Olympics will see action in the 64kg division; Agad will compete in the men’s -55kg category while Tabique will vie in the 89kg category.
The rest of the qualifiers are Mary Flor Diaz (45kg), Rosegie Ramos (49kg), Margaret Colonia (59kg), Vanessa Sarno (71kg), Kristel Macrohon (+71kg), Rowel Garcia (61kg), Nestor Colonia (67kg), and Lemon Tarro (73kg).
Sarno of Bohol, who is a double gold medalist in the Asian Weightlifting Championships last year, qualified during the Cebu qualifiers last March 8 alongside Ando and other Cebuano weightlifters while the rest qualified during the Zamboanga and Manila competitions.
The 12-man weightlifting team is expected to have a bubble training camp in Manila soon. SWP President Monico Puentevella already predicted at least three gold medals from the team.
In the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, the Philippines won two gold medals courtesy of Diaz and Macrohon and three silvers from Ando, Mary Flor Diaz, and Cebuano John Febuar Ceniza. /rcg
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