HANGZHOU, China – Prayoridad ngayon ni Vanessa Sarno ang kanyang kalusugan bilang pagahahanda sa pagsabak niya sa women’s 76-kilogram weightlifting event ng 19th Asian Games sa Huwebes sa Huanglong Sports Center Gymnasium dito.
Ayon kay Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella, priority nila ang pag-qualify sa Paris Olympics kaya kailangang pangalagaan ni Sarno ang sarili habang humahabol ng medalya sa prestihiyosong quadrennial event na ito.
Si Sarno ay isa sa mga elite lifter ng bansa para sa pagiging two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist at dating Asian champion.
Ngunit nagtamo siya ng elbow injury sa kanyang pagsali sa World Weightlifting Championship sa Riyadh at isinugod sa intensive care unit matapos mawalan ng malay sa Asian Junior at Youth Weightlifting Championships sa New Delhi kamakailan.
“I have only one very important instruction to her: Please don’t get hurt,” saad ni Puentevella isang panayam. “We have a bigger goal which is to make it to the Paris Olympics. We won’t realize that goal if she suffers an injury here in the Asian Games.”
Inamin naman ni Puentevella na least priority nila ang Asian Games dahil bukod sa hindi Olympic-qualifying event, pinahintulutan din ng host country ang pagsama ng mga kalahok mula sa North Korea.
Pinagbawalan ng World Anti-Doping Agency ang North Koreans na makakita ng aksyon sa darating na Olympic at Paralympic Games matapos tumanggi na isailalim ang kanilang mga sarili sa drug testing.
“This tournament (Asian Games) doesn’t present what actually awaits us in the Paris Olympics,” sabi ni Puentevella. “With the presence of the North Koreans, who don’t subject themselves to testing, it’s really hard for our athletes to win medals.”
“I know her, she’s a fighter,” saad pa niya. “Even if she knows that this tournament is not an Olympic qualifier, she will still show up and deliver her best.”
“I have only one instruction to her and I will say it a million times: Please don’t get hurt. Take care of yourself and good luck to your competition tomorrow,” dagdag pa niya.
