2 Athletes Try to Get Slots in 17th Asian Games

Manila (PNA) — Two veterans athletes will attempt to be included in the Philippine team that will see action in the prestigious 17th Asian Games slated Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 in Incheon, South Korea.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, a two-time Olympian, will try to lift the qualifying standard of 285 kilogram in a performance lift set at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Weightlifting Center.

Last May, the 23-year-old Diaz from Zamboanga was given a chance to qualify for the Asian Games but her lift was good only to improve her personal record to 218 kg in the 62-kg category.

“Her performance in PNG was actually good. She has improved her lift but failed to achieve the bronze standard of the task force. So she was given time to prepare for her recovery in performance,” Philippine Weightlifting Association (PWA) president Roger Dullano said.

On the other hand, Torres will attempt to qualify in the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Weekly Relays to be held at the Philsports Arena on Sunday.

According to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Chairman at Asian Games Task Force member Tom Carrasco, the 33-year-old Torres has to reach the qualifying jump of 6.49 meters, a bronze medal standards for Asian Games.

Torres, a reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, returned to active training after giving birth to her first child last January.

Torres won the gold medal in the 2009 Asian Athletics Championship in Guanzhou, China with a jump of 6.51m while her personal best was 6.71m recorded in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.

At least 159 Filipino athletes will participate in the upcoming Asian Games. (PNA) LAM/JFM