Diaz, Colonia lead weightlifting team looking for Tokyo tickets

Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz and fellow Rio De Janeiro Olympian Nestor Colonia used to be the only weightlifters flying out to Olympic qualifiers.

The two will have company now as eight other lifters will join them in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, beginning Monday.

The tournament is an Olympic qualifier.

“We are happy to see these kids battle the best lifters in the world,” said Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella.

“All these years, we [had] only [been bringing] Hidilyn and Nestor to these qualifiers … Now, we have 10 lifters,” added Puentevella.

Joining Diaz and Colonia are Mary Flor Diaz (45kg), Elien Rose Perez (49kg), Margaret Colonia (59kg), Elreen Ann Ando (64kg), Kristel Macrohon (71kg) for women and John Ceniza (55kg), Dave Pecaldo (61kg) and Jeffrey Garcia (73kg) for men.

Coaches Ramon Solis and Greg Colonia will lead the team.

“This will be a stepping stone for them as they aspire to compete in Tokyo and also for the 2024 Games in Paris,” said Puentevella.

According to Puentevella, it will be the same group which aims to win gold medals in the forthcoming 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Diaz, who broke the country’s long medal-less performance in the Olympics with a silver in Rio 2016, won two bronze medals in previous world championships.