(NI JEAN MALANUM)

PITONG atleta na pangungunahan ni 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz ang nakatakdang lumahok sa World Championships na idaraos mula Setyembre 18-27 sa Pattaya, Thailand.

Si Diaz ay sasabak sa women’s -55kg category ng torneo na sanctioned by International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

Kasama rin sa Team Philippines sina John Fabruar Ceniza (men’s 55kg), Nestor Colonia (men’s 67kg), Jeffrey Garcia (men’s 73kg), Mary Flor Diaz (women’s -45kg), Elien Rose Perez (women’s -49kg), Elreen Ann Ando (women’s -64kg) at Kristel Macrohon (women’s -71kg).

Ang World Championships ay isa sa mga international tournaments na kasama sa tune-up ng Pinoy lifters para sa 30th SEA Games.

Ayon sa organizers ng World Championships, ang darating na competition ang pinakamalaki dahil sa 734 atleta mula sa 105 bansa ang nagpadala ng entries. Kasama sa mga bansang hindi masyadong active sa pagsali sa mga IWF events pero lalahok sa World Championships ay ang Botswana at Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

“The IWF has worked long and hard to ensure fair and clean competition in weightlifting. We are very happy to see this work delivering real results by widening the appeal of our sport,” pahayag ni IWF President Tamas Ajan.

“With less than a year to go until Tokyo 2020, we expect the coming IWF World Championship will show how more countries than ever are likely to be challenging for Olympic medals,” dagdag niya.

Inaasahan na mabigat ang labanan sa World Championships dahil kasali rin ang mga dating kampeon na tumanggap ng IWF Weightlifter of Year award na sina Lidia Valentin ng Spain (2017) at Lasha Talahadze ng Georgia (2018).

Ikinatuwa naman ni Ajan na 339 kababaihan at 395 kalalakihan ang sasali dahil sa makikita dito ang gender equality. Maraming koponan, gaya ng Great Britain, Brazil, Denmark at Ecuador , na mas marami ang entries na babae kesa lalaki. Dahil sa development program ng IWF, magpapadala ng entries ang Iran sa women’s division sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon samantalang may babaeng atleta rin ang Iraq na kasali.

“Women athletes have been leading the way when it comes to challenging stereotypes about the perceived role of women in society. We are very proud that women weightlifters should be playing such a prominent part among those athletes. Women weightlifters have done much to dispel the myth of a single ideal body size and type. Weightlifting is a sport that enables all men and women to develop and show their strength,” sabi ni Ajan.