Diaz-Naranjo to headline Philippine’s delegation in the IWF World Championships on December in Bogota including eight other lifters.
The Philippines will field nine athletes, including 2022 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships set on December 5-16 in Bogota, Colombia.
The World Championships is the first qualification tournament in the process of reaching the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“Our women lifters for the World Championships in Colombia will include our golden girl Hidilyn Diaz,” said Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella.
The IWF World Championships will be Diaz-Naranjo’s first competition after bagging the championship at the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games last May.
Diaz-Naranjo will be joining the women's 55-kg category, where she claimed her gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and will be joined by Rosegie Ramos and Lovely Inan (women's 49-kg), fellow Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ando (women's 59-kg), Asian champion and SEA Games gold winner Vanessa Sarno and Kristel Macrohon (women's 71-kg).
In the men's division, it will be spearheaded by Nestor Colonia (men's 55-kg), John Febuar Ceniza (men's 61-kg) and Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (men's 67-kg).
"We are optimistic for a good showing in the World Championships to be led by Hidilyn and Vanessa. This is why we skipped the Asian Championships to concentrate on our goal of qualifying," said Puentevella in an interview on Monday.
The Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas explained that they only sent Rose Jean Ramos and Fernando Agad in the Asian Championships in Manama, Bahrain to focus on the Bogota tilt.
"This world championship is a prelude to the Paris Olympics already. Where we meet the best in the world. At the same time, we’ll know who’s ready and also improve our qualifying chances," Puentevella added.
Also joining the athletes in Colombia are coaches Ramos Solis, Richard Pep Agosto, Joe Patrick Diaz, Julius Irvin Hikaru Naranjo, sports psychologist Dr. Karen Katrina Trinidad and nutritionist Jeaneth Aro.
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