KAIWEN COMEBACK
Diaz coach eyed to handle Phl weightlifters
The Chinese coach who steered Hidilyn Diaz to an Olympic gold medal could be making a return.
But this time, he will handle young Filipino weightlifters who are projected to bring glory to the country in the years to come.
Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella revealed to DAILY TRIBUNE that he is working hard to acquire the services of Gao Kaiwen — the mentor who helped Diaz become the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo in 2021.
Puentevella, a respected figure in the international weightlifting community, didn’t divulge further details but stressed that Gao loves the Filipinos so much that he is willing to help their Olympic bets in John Fabuar Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno make a splash in Paris this July.
“He loves the Filipinos so much that he wants to train them again,” Puentevella said in a phone conversation on Wednesday.
“I am now talking to my counterparts in Chinese Taipei so we could have Coach Gao train them there. I want our new breed of Olympic athletes to get the same kind of training that Hidilyn had when she was preparing for the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.”
The 64-year-old Gao is considered as one of the architects of Diaz’s success on the international stage.
He started coaching Diaz in 2018 after she won her first Asian Games gold medal in Jakarta. Eventually, the Philippine Sports Commission surrounded Diaz with other coaches like strength and conditioning coach Julius Naranjo, nutritionist Jeaneth Aro and psychologist Dr. Karen Trinidad in a bid to prepare her for the Tokyo Olympics.
In the Summer Games, Gao was at his best as he outsmarted the coaches of Chinese superstar Liao Qiuyun, prompting Diaz to conquer the gold medal in the women’s 55-kilogram event.
Reports had it that the Chinese weightlifting authorities were not happy over Gao’s decision to coach a Filipino, especially since he refused to share some inside information on Diaz’s preparation.
Gao eventually ended his contract with SWP to return to China to be with his family.
But Puentevella said Gao is now coaching in Chinese Taipei and he was told that he is interested in coaching the Filipinos anew and run the same training program that he had with Diaz.
“Coach Gao is no longer in China. He’s now in Taipei so it will be easier for him to coach our athletes again,” Puentevella said.
“If he’s in China, it will be hard to acquire Coach Gao’s services. The Chinese are ‘mad’ at us for beating them in Tokyo. But since he is already in Taipei, it will be easier for him to handle our athletes again.”
If ever, Gao will be handling a Filipino squad that is overflowing with promises.
The 26-year-old Ceniza displayed a glimpse of his potential when he lifted 300 kilograms in the men’s 61-kg event to bag the fourth place in the IWF World Cup in Phuket recently while the 25-year-old Ando and the 20-year-old Sarno have also performed brilliantly in the women’s 59-kg and 71-kg categories, respectively.
Ando, for one, is billed as Diaz’s successor after beating her in a dramatic showdown in Phuket while Sarno was hailed by the Asian Weightlifting Federation as the fifth-best in her weight category.
A fourth lifter in 20-year-old Rosegie Ramos could also make the Olympics pending the announcement of the International Weightlifting Federation on 29 April.
Puentevella said he couldn’t wait to see Gao taking the young lifters under his wings. “These kids are the future,” Puentevella said. “If ever we get lucky and land the services of Coach Gao, things will look bright not just for Philippine weightlifting but for Philippine sports in general.”