Hidilyn's heir banners Philippine weightlifters in world championships in Uzbekistan

MANILA, Philippines – Teenage sensation Vanessa Sarno will go all out to show she’s the heir apparent to Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz as the former spearheads a crack Philippine team battling in the World Weightlifting Championships set December 7-17 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The 17-year-old Tagbiliran, Bohol native has shown flashes of Diaz’s brilliance after she scooped up two gold medals and a silver in last April’s Asian Championship also in Tashkent.

Sarno is expected to carry the fight for the country after Diaz, who delivered a breakthrough Olympic mint in Tokyo, begged off from joining due to lack of preparation.

Sarno though will not be the only promising lifter in the 11-strong Tashkent-bound national team, which is being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), as Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ando and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Kristel Macrohon are also seeing action.

Sarno and Macrohon will both compete in 71-kilogram division while Ando in the 59kg class.

Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president Monico Puentevella said the Tashkent tilt would serve as one of the many qualifying tournaments to the 2024 Paris Games.

“This is the new, hungry and future weightlifting stars of the country,” said Puentevella. “After Hidilyn, we now move on for Paris 2024 and inspired, we prepared for this long time ago.

“This is the first of the qualifiers, let’s support our lifters,” he added.

Completing the squad are Mary Flor Diaz (45kg), Eileen Rose Perez (49kg), Margaret Colonia (64kg), Fernando Agad (55kg), John Febuar Ceniza (61kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (67kg) and John Dexter Tabique (96kg) with Robert Colonia, Richard Agosto and Christopher Bureros as coaches.