THE Philippine Weightlifting Association (PWA) is in a quandary as to where it would field its top athletes Hidilyn Diaz and Kelly Roxas—the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos or the Asian Junior Championships in India.

Both tournaments are scheduled simultaneously in December.

“We are thoroughly studying the matter because we have to decide which tournament will be given priority by Hidilyn and Kelly,” said PWA secretary-general Roger Dulano.

Diaz and Roxas each won gold medals in the previous Asian Juniors Championships and are eyeing a repeat. But they also want to help the country’s bid for a strong performance in the SEA Games.

The 18-year-old Diaz has represented the Philippines in a number of international competitions, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she was the youngest entry in the women’s 58-kg division, making her the first female weightlifter to compete for the Philippines in the Olympics and only the second Filipino after her coach, Ramon Solis.

Dagmil told to return home

LONG jumper Henry Dagmil is expected to return to the Philippines after he failed to secure a coach at the University of California-Berkeley.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, who is staying in San Francisco using his own funds, is preparing for the World Championships to be held from August 15 to 23 in Berlin, Germany, and the Southeast Asian Games in Laos this December.

“Ang kasunduan niya with the coach last year, pumunta lang siya doon at tutulungan siya. Unfortunately, hindi na doon nagtatrabaho ’yung coach na ’yun dahil din sa financial crisis,” said local athletics coach Joseph Sy.