PROUD CEBUANO. John Febuar Ceniza (left), with national coach Christopher Bureros, shows his silver medal in the men's 71kg. category of the International Weightlifting Federation Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar on Feb. 6, 2023. Ceniza will vie for a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics in July via the International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on March 31 to April 11. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Hidilyn Diaz will lead the country's last hurrah for Olympic berths in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup scheduled in Phuket, Thailand on March 31 to April 11.
Joining the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the tournament, which is the final qualifier for the Paris Olympics, are fellow Zamboangueñas Rosegie Ramos (W49kg.) and Kristel Macrohon; Lovely Inan of Angono, Rizal (W49kg.); John Febuar Ceniza (M61kg.); Elreen Ann Ando of Cebu City; and Vanessa Sarno of Bohol.
Macrohon and Sarno are both competing in the W71kg. while Diaz and 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medalist Ando are entered in the W59kg. category.
The athletes, accompanied by Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella and coaches Antonio Agustin Jr. and Diwa delos Santos (Zamboanga City), Nicolas Jaluag (Bohol), and Christopher Bureros (Cebu City), will leave on March 29.
Based on the IWF Olympic qualifying rankings, Ceniza is 6th; Sarno, 5th; Diaz, 8th; and Ramos, 9th.
Only the top 10 lifters will earn a quota place and bodyweight category through the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking tournaments for the period Aug. 1, 2022 to April 28, 2024.
The World Cup will be the first tournament for Diaz after sustaining a knee injury at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar.
She skipped last month's Asian Championships where the Philippines bagged two silver medals courtesy of Ramos and Ando.
In the Southeast Asian Games, Sarno won the gold medal in Vietnam (2022) and Cambodia (2023) while Macrohon triumphed in Manila (2019).
Sarno also bagged two medals at the Asian Championships -- a gold in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2020) and a silver in Jinju, South Korea (2023).
Ceniza, 25, got the silver medal at the 2023 World Grand Prix II in Qatar.
He registered a total of 298kg. despite finishing fourth in snatch (133kg.) and fifth in the clean and jerk (165kg.) -- all new national records. (PNA)
