THERE will be no shortage of potential heirs or heiresses to Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn F. Diaz as the supremo of Philippine weightlifting.
The country’s champion-manufacturing weightlifting machine continue to churn like clockwork and on Sunday night, it produced another magnificent lifter in 15-year-old Angeline Colonia in the Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Ms. Colonia, who also hails from Zamboanga just like Ms. Diaz, captured two gold medals and one silver in a smashing performance that also set new world and Asian records in the women’s 40-kilogram (kg) class.
She struck gold in the snatch where she lifted 62kg, settled for silver in the clean and jerk with a 72kg before making it a double-gold haul with a total lift of 134kg.
Making it more significant was her effort in snatch eclipsed the Asian and world mark of 61kg.
Meanwhile, Prince Keil de los Santos snared two bronzes in clean and jerk (49kg) and overall (186kg).
Ms. Colonia joined the ranks as one of the many potential successors to Ms. Diaz’s throne as queen of the sport in the country.
The other promising big names that could be the future of the country are the 18-year-old Asian and Southeast Asian champion in Vanessa Sarno and the promising sisters Rose Jean and Rosegie Ramos, who incidentally are also seeing action in Tashkent.
“Expect more. Sent 13 kids including Vanessa, Rose Jean and Rosegie. This is for the country and the future of weightlifting,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella on Monday told The STAR. — Joey Villar