Young weightlifting lass impressive

By Jun Lomibao
Editor

DOHA—Hidilyn Diaz is young at 15 and is one of only two weightlifting representatives in the 15th Asian Games. She, by the way, is the youngest woman competitor in the sport here.
           
Of course, she performed far from a podium finish in the 53-kg class, but that does not make her look much of a flunker in these Games.
           
The promising find from Zamboanga impressed competitors—who are all her seniors and world class at that—and coaches alike that she has been advised to hone in China.
           
Diaz was eighth in a field of 12. She finished better than older and more seasoned opponents from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
           
The teener registered a 72 in the snatch and a 90 in the clean and jerk for a 162-kilo total lift Saturday. That was off the 98-126-224 tally of gold-medal winner Chinese Li Ping, whose coach promised to look after her if ever the country sends her for training in the mainland.
           
Thailand’s Junpim Kuntatean clinched silver with 97-124-221, and Hong Kong China’s Yu Wei Li grabbed bronze with 90-117-207.
           
The country’s representative in men’s weightlifting, Renante Briones in the 105-kg class, competes December 6.