Nine Filipino weightlifters — headlined by Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo — are set to carry the nation’s colors at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month, determined to reclaim regional glory and build momentum toward future Olympic dreams.
Diaz-Naranjo, the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist after her historic triumph in the 55kg division at the Tokyo Games, returns to SEA Games action in the 58kg category. She previously captured back-to-back SEA Games gold medals in 2019 (Philippines) and 2021 (Vietnam) but skipped the 2023 edition in Cambodia to focus on Olympic qualifying competitions.
Joining her in the women’s lineup are rising young stars and seasoned campaigners: Rosegie Ramos (48kg), Jhodie Peralta (53kg), Elreen Ann Ando (63kg), and 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Kristel Macrohon (69kg). Peralta is fresh from a standout performance at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where she clinched gold in snatch and bronze in clean and jerk, while two-time Olympian Ando recently bagged a bronze medal at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Norway. Macrohon, meanwhile, delivered a three-bronze performance at the Asian Championships in Zhejiang, China.
The men’s roster brings its own firepower with Fernando Agad Jr. (60kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (65kg), Albert Ian Delos Santos (71kg), and John Dexter Tabique (94kg). Delos Santos, a promising second-year financial management student from Universidad de Zamboanga, is eager for his SEA Games debut. Despite narrowly missing the podium at the World Youth and Junior Championships in Norway last October, he still made waves by setting a world junior record of 185kgs in the clean and jerk. He previously claimed the Juniors 67kg title in Peru and added gold and silver medals at the 2025 Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Kazakhstan.
Delos Santos, the son of former national lifters Alvin and Diwa Delos Santos, says the dream is clear. “It’s a dream to win the gold medal in the SEA Games. I will do my best to make it happen,” he said.
SWP President Monico Puentevella stressed that the SEA Games and Asian Games are all part of the long-term roadmap leading to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “Win or lose, our goal is the 2028 Olympics, so the lifters have to prove they are capable or they will miss the boat,” said Puentevella, who was inducted into the IWF Hall of Fame in 2022.
Puentevella will accompany the delegation to Thailand along with coaches Antonio Agustin Jr., Ramon Solis, Samuel Alegada, Diwa Delos Santos, and Julius Irvin Hikaru Naranjo, as the Philippines looks to strengthen its medal campaign and nurture the next generation of weightlifting champions.