LED by Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidylin Diaz and fellow Olympian Elreen Ann Ando, weightlifting is fielding a powerhouse national women’s team to the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May, according to weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella.
Diaz will defend her women’s 55-kilogram crown in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi while Ando, having battled top caliber rivals in the Tokyo Olympics, looms as another solid prospect in the women’s 64-kg class, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President said.
A 30th SEA Games silver medalist, Ando lifted a total weight of 222 kilos in the Tokyo Summer Games, exceeding the 214 kg that Vietnam’s Pham Thi Hong Thanh lifted in ruling the division in the regional games at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium three years ago.
Puentevella added that not to be ruled out is youthful Kristel Macrohon, who topped the women’s 71.kg category in the 30th SEA Games and won a pair of bronze medals in the Asian meet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April last year. She will see action in +71 women’s kg category.
Ably relieving Macrohon in the weight division and also a member of the star-studded women’s squad is Vanessa Sarno, the country’s lone gold medalist in the Asian championships.
Asian meet silver medalist Mary Flor Diaz will compete in the 45kg category while Youth World Championships gold medalist Rosegie Ramos will see action in the 49kg class, according to Puentevella.
“Spearheaded by Hidy (Diaz’s nickname) and Elreen, all of these female weightlifters are potential gold medalists in the Vietnam SEA Games, so, Lord willing, we could exceed our haul of two golds in Manila three years ago,” Puentevella said.
Pinoy weightlifters garnered two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the 2019 Philippine Games.
The weightlifting honcho said he would not discount the men’s weightlifting squad “which is training just as hard as our women’s squad. Our men’s lifters are just as hungry in giving honor to our country.”
