SAMAHANG Weightlifting ng Pilipinas Monico Puentevella confirmed over the weekend that Chinese Coach Gao Kaiwen will be returning to China next month.
According to Puentevella, the Chinese weightlifting coach has asked for his contract to be terminated so he can go home to China and see his family.
"I talked to coach Gao before we left Tokyo and he told me he will come back after three months of vacation. [But] if not, we'll look for someone else. Our local coaches are good too. Not to worry," said Puentevella.
Gao, who helped Hidilyn Diaz won the Philippines' first Olympics gold medal, was away from his home for almost two years.
The SWP chief stressed that once Gao leaves, Diaz's strength and conditioning mentor Julius Naranjo will assign the coaching duties.
Puentevella added that Naranjo will be the head coach until they can find a suitable replacement.
Meanwhile, in response to an online post by the kin of former Filipino Olympic weightlifter Artemio Rocamora that their grandfather will be able to meet and see Diaz, Puentevella said that he will arrange the meeting.
"We'll try to fix something for him to meet Hidilyn," Puentevella said.
According to the post, the 87-year-old Rocamora is a Philippine Air Force veteran and athlete and has brought honor to the country when he finished bronze in the Asian Championship and settled 19th place in the overall Tokyo Summer Olympics in 1964.