Weightlifting president Monico Puentevella is confident they can sustain their Tokyo Olympics success in the 2024 Paris Games.
“I can foresee na magme-medal tayo sa Paris Olympics sa babae,” Puentevella said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Online Forum.
The veteran chief, who has been at the weightlifting helm for more than a decade, added he is looking at four young protégés who can follow the footsteps of Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz: Elreen Ando, Vanessa Sarno, Kristel Macrohon and Rosegie Ramos.
Ando, 22, had already experienced baptism by fire when she debuted in the Tokyo Games and finished seventh. Prior to that, she won silver in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and 2020 Asian Championships.
Sarno also boasts of being an Asian Champion at 17 years old, while 24-year-old Macrohon is the reigning SEA Games champion in the 71kgs as well as a bronze medalist in the 2020 Asian Championships, IWF World Cup and 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Ramos, meanwhile, is a teenager who started at Diaz’s own gym in Zamboanga City.
Puentevella hopes to send these young lifters to high caliber tournaments this early, saying that exposing them at a young age would help build their confidence in the same way that Diaz did.
“Gusto ko dumaan sila gaya ng dinaan noon ni Hidi na iyak talaga,” said Puentevella, referring to Diaz’s 2012 London Olympics stint, who failed to place after unsuccessful attempts in the clean & jerk.
Puentevella, however, said matching Diaz’s success is easier said than done, as these young lifters must learn the same discipline and amount of sacrifice that Diaz endured to make it on top.
“Dapat gayahin nila si Hidilyn non na walang birthdays, no Christmas, no New Year sa Kuala Lumpur. Basta training lang going to the Olympics,” he said.