Olympian Hidilyn Diaz will banner the 10-player national team that will see action in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games which the country is hosting starting Nov. 30.
Diaz hopes to strike gold this time after settling for silver medals in the -58kg division in the 2013 Myanmar and 2011 Indonesia editions as well as bronze in the 2007 Thailand meet.
The 28-year-old Diaz, who won a silver in the -53kgs of the 2016 Rio Olympics, will see action in -55kgs.
Joining Diaz in the women’s side are Mary Flor Diaz (-45kgs), Ellen Rose Perez (-49kgs), Margaret Colonia (-59kgs), Elreen Ann anda (-64kgs), and Kristel Macrohon (-71kgs).
Nestor Colonia, a 2015 Asian Weightlifting champion, competes in the -67kgs class to banner the men’s squad also composed of John Fabuar Ceniza (-55kgs), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (-61kgs) and Jeffrey Garcia (-73kgs).
Competing in a heavier weight, Colonia hopes to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the 2017 Malaysian edition where he competed in the -56kgs division.
The Philippine Weightlifting Federation is optimistic of the team’s medal chances this time following the reinclusion of women’s events.
Only five men’s events were competed in Malaysia in 2017 with Vietnam and Indonesia winning two golds each and Thailand taking the other. (Kristel Satumbaga)
