FOR bringing pride and glory to the country with every lift she did in an outstanding sporting journey, a weightlifting icon is set for enshrinement in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Hall of Fame.

Hidilyn Diaz, the humble lady from Zamboanga City responsible for charting the name of the Philippines in the gold medal table of the Olympics after nearly a century, will be bestowed with the distinguished accolade during the San Miguel Corporation-PSA Awards Night at the Manila Hotel on January 27.

The 33-year-old lifter is just a few years removed from her historic feat of giving the country the breakthrough gold in the Olympiad during the 2020 Tokyo Games in what served as the highlight of a stellar career that had its roots in the small barangay of Mampang.

But the impact brought about by her Olympic success and other significant victories in the international front made her deserving to be enshrined in the PSA Hall of Fame alongside the greatest athletes in Philippine sports.

In what is the grandest Awards Night ever by the country’s oldest media organization headed by its president Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star, Diaz will stand side by side with first ever Filipino Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Yulo as they share center stage in the formal affair co-presented by ArenaPLus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.

Yulo, 24, is the winner of the coveted Athlete of the Year honor.

The grand celebration backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, and Januarius Holdings, with support from the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, Rain or Shine, AcroCity, and Akari marks the first time the country’s two Olympic champions will be in the limelight together.

Diaz is the latest legendary athlete to be elevated in the Hall of Fame by the country’s sports writing fraternity since the late track and field grate Lydia De Vega in 2022.

Others enshrined in the PSA ‘Hall’ were bowlers Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo, chess grandmaster Eugene Torre, pool idol Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, the late FIDE president Florencio Campomanes, and the eminent boxer Manny Pacquiao.

Diaz virtually grew in the eyes of Filipino sports fans.

The daughter of a tricycle driver who turned into farming and fishing, she started lifting weights at the age of nine by using makeshift barbels, eventually joining her first major competition in the 2002 Batang Pinoy, before becoming a member of the national team two years later at the age of 13.

She won her first medal – a bronze – in the 2007 Nakhonratchasima Southeast Asian Games as a 16-year-old lass, and a year after, competed in her very first Olympic in the 2008 Beijing Games as a wild card entry. She also qualified in the 2012 London Games, but for the second straight time, came home empty handed.

It wasn’t until the 2016 edition of the Summer Games in Rio De Janeiro when Diaz, an Air Force officer, finally scored a breakthrough by winning the silver medal in the women’s 53kg category, ending the country’s medal-less campaign for two decades in what proved to be a prelude to a historic golden feat in Tokyo four years after.

One of only four Filipino Olympic multi-medalists aside from Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, and the late Teofilo Yldefonso, Diaz also won gold medals in the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games, and the SEA Games.

MANILA — Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz, alongside the Philippine weightlifting team, is embarking on a journey to Phuket, Thailand, for the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup, which holds significance as the final qualifying event for the upcoming Paris Olympics later this year.

Diaz, accompanied by her husband-coach Julius Naranjo, was seen at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as revealed in a recent social media post.

Ranked 8th in the women’s 59-kilogram division according to the IWF’s Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR), Diaz aims to solidify her position after her commendable performance at last year’s IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she lifted a total of 224 kg.

Currently, China’s Luo Shifang leads this category.

Naranjo shared their excitement on Instagram, stating, “And we are off to our final Olympic qualifier in Phuket. It has been an extraordinary journey for us, and TeamHD is excited to represent the country.”

Joining Diaz in Phuket are fellow Olympian Elreen Ando, Rosegie Ramos in the women’s 49 kg category, Vanessa Sarno, Kristel Macrohon in the women’s 71 kg, and John Febuar Ceniza in the men’s 61 kg division.

According to the IWF’s OQR, Ceniza ranks 6th in the men’s 61 kg, Ramos stands 9th in the women’s 49 kg, and Sarno holds 5th place in the women’s 71 kg.

Ando and Macrohon may not have appeared in the Olympic qualification ranking list, but Ando holds the 8th position in the IWF’s World Ranking list for the women’s 59 kg.

Both lifters, along with Lovely Inan in the women’s 49 kg, are part of the long list meeting the “event participation criteria” of the qualification system, as per the IWF.

(By el Amigo/MNM)

MANILA — In a setback for Filipino Olympic champion weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, she was compelled to withdraw from the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar, following a noteworthy 100-kilogram lift in the snatch of the women’s 59 kg category.

The unexpected exit occurred after Diaz was unable to proceed to the clean and jerk, with the IWF speculating on a potential injury in a report on its official website.

Citing a precautionary measure due to a minor injury concern, the IWF mentioned in a report on Friday, “It was precautionary after a minor injury worry, and she expects to be moving up the rankings again at the next opportunity.”

Elreen Ando, another Filipino Olympian, also fell short of securing a medal in the same event. The 59 kg category holds particular significance for Diaz as it marks her new weight class for the upcoming Paris Olympics in the following year.

In this event, China’s Luo Shifang asserted dominance in the 59 kg category by lifting a total of 247 kg, surpassing Asian Games champion Kim Il Gyong, who managed a lift of 243 kg.

Despite the setback, Diaz remains hopeful for future opportunities to climb the rankings and showcase her prowess on the weightlifting stage.

(JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)

HIDILYN Diaz, the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, faced disappointment in her pursuit of a podium finish at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games held on Monday, October 2, at the XSC Gymnasium in China.

Diaz, who had previously won gold during the 2018 Asian Games in the 53kg division, shifted to the 59-kilogram women’s category but finished in fourth place with a total of 223 points, comprising 97kgs in the snatch and 136kgs in the clean and jerk.

Diaz had a chance to secure at least a bronze medal, but her third and final attempt at 131kgs was deemed a “no lift” as she struggled with the equipment. Her first two attempts at 121kgs and 126kgs were successful.

In the snatch, Diaz managed to lift 94 and 97 kilograms on her initial two attempts but fell short at 100 on her third and final attempt.

North Korea’s Kim Ilgyong clinched the gold medal with a total of 246kgs, setting a new world record in the snatch at 111kgs and establishing a new Asian Games record at 135kgs in the clean and jerk.

China’s Luo Shifang secured the silver medal with a total of 240kgs, while Taiwan’s Hsing Chun Kuo earned the bronze medal with 227kgs.

Diaz’s participation in this edition of the Asian Games was a part of her efforts to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. (ai/mnm)

Hidilyn Diaz, the Olympic gold medalist, celebrated a significant achievement as she proudly graduated from college, joining her fellow graduates at the PICC Plenary Hall in Pasay City on Saturday, July 22.

Completing her studies at the College of St. Benilde, Hidilyn successfully earned her BSBA- Business Management degree.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the accomplished Olympian shared photos donning her graduation attire, expressing her gratitude to the former President of the institution for providing her with the opportunity to pursue her college education.

She thanked various individuals who played pivotal roles in her journey through college, including the members of the Benilde Sports team who assisted and guided her, her teachers, and most notably her thesis adviser, Sir Ricky, whose guidance helped her and her thesis partners overcome the challenges of completing their thesis.

Despite her busy schedule, the 32-year-old weightlifting champion managed to complete her undergraduate thesis, a task she initially thought would be incredibly difficult.

Now, having achieved this remarkable milestone, Hidilyn looks forward to competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ready to continue her legacy in the world of sports.
(ai/mnm)