Asian Youth, Junior lifting meets set in PH

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BUOYED by the success of Hidylin Diaz-Naranjo in the Tokyo Olympics and the lifters who saw action in the previous edition in India in 2023, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas will host the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships from Nov. 4 to 14 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

“For the first time in so many, many years, we have decided to host a major international weightlifting event and I believe we are ready,” SWP president Monico said as he announced the holding of the meet in the presence of Asian Weightlifting Federation secretary-general Mohammed Alharbi in a press conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

“I would like to congratulate the Philippines for winning the right to host this event. And I trust my ‘big brother’ Monico in staging a successful competition for our athletes from all over Asia,” Alharbi, also the Saudi Weightlifting Federation president, said.

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“I have visited the venue (Ninoy Aquino Stadium) and it has met all the standards we require in hosting a grand tournament like this,” added the AWF official, who expects 30 countries and 400 athletes to compete in the 10-day tournament.

Puentevella said Philippine Sports Commission chief Richard Bachmann committed the agency’s full support to the Asian Youth and Junior Championships when he and Alharbi paid a courtesy call on the PSC honcho.

He pointed out that one main reason for hosting the competition was that “we are preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic where I boldly predict we will have more than three representatives. And I see that in November we will have new in fantastic names.”

National coach Tony Agustin said among those who are expected to excel in the meet are Prince de los Santos and Alexsandra Diaz, who bagged gold medals in the Youth (Under-20) division of the meet last year in New Delhi, Indonesia.

Agustin also cited Angeline Colonia and Jodie Peralta, the other gold medalists in New Delhi, who are expected to carry the cudgels for the country in the competition.

He pointed out that Filipino lifters hoisted 11 gold, six silver and three silvers, finishing third overall among the 13 countries that competed in the India tournament.

“We are now going higher and higher in world weightlifting. We are no longer cheerleaders. And we are proud that our weightlifters are homegrown,” Puentevella said.

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