MANILA: Hidilyn Diaz sprung a major surprise in the Philippines by winning a weightlifting silver medal in Rio — the country’s first Olympic medal for 20 years, officials said Monday.
Sports analysts in the Philippines had not expected the 1.54-meter (5ft 1/2in) tall Diaz to bag a medal at the 2016 Games after coming up empty in 2008 and 2012 games.
“We had high hopes with other sports. So (Cruz’s medal) is a surprise. A lot of people didn’t expect she would take a medal,” said Ronel Abrenica, executive-director of the Philippine Sports Commission.
But Abrenica said he noticed something from the 25-year-old, who became the first woman from the Philippines ever to win an Olympic medal.
“I was watching her before. I saw her sincerity and determination. You could see it in the way she talks. She was determined to win. She had the fire in the belly,” he told AFP.
“Before she set off (for Rio), she told me, ‘at least, I can get a bronze’. So this (silver) is a bonus,” said Abrenica.
Diaz took the silver in the 53kg class, the first ever by a Filipino weightlifter, Abrenica said.
It was also the first Olympic medal for the Southeast Asian nation since boxer Mansueto Velasco took a silver in the 1996 games.
The two Filipino boxers in the 13-member contingent were considered to have the best chances, as boxers had won five of the country’s previous nine Olympic medals, sports analysts had said.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Martin Andanar, congratulated Diaz, saying “hers is (an inspiring story) about overcoming shyness but for an inspired nation, her road to Rio is a journey of grit, patience and determination.”
He also said that Diaz is the country’s first Olympic medallist from Duterte’s home southern region of Mindanao.
Diaz’s victory also has monetary benefits as Philippine law provides a five million peso ($107,000) prize to Olympic silver medallists, Abrenica said.
He added that the sports commission, which is in charge of funding the country’s sports programs, was also working with “private partners” to get Diaz additional benefits.
Like other Filipino sports heroes, such as boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, Diaz can also likely count on lucrative commercial offers once she returns home, he added.
Philippines gets first Olympic medal in 20 years
Philippines gets first Olympic medal in 20 years
Strong Arab lineup set for Saudi Open at Dirab
- Top Saudi Arabia professionals and amateurs will take part from Dec. 10-13
RIYADH: The Saudi Open presented by PIF, taking place at the Dirab Golf and Country Club from Dec. 10 to 13, will feature one of the largest domestic and Arab fields in the tournament’s history.
This year’s championship includes leading Arab players from Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and Algeria, alongside a powerful Saudi Arabia presence comprising professionals and amateurs.
Five of Saudi Arabia’s top professionals and Golf Saudi ambassadors will compete: Othman Almulla, Saud Al-Sharif, Faisal Salhab, Khalid Attieh, and Shergo Al-Kurdi.
In addition several Saudi amateurs are competing including Abdulhakim Alnajran, Khalid Al-Qunai’bit, Ali Babtain, and Prince Khalid bin Saud Al-Faisal. They will face an elite international field at the Asian Tour’s season-ending event.
With a prize fund of $1 million, the event offers a valuable opportunity for Arab and Saudi players to gain international exposure.
This year marks the first time the season finale has been hosted at the Dirab Golf Club, one of the Kingdom’s established courses, that has helped introduce the game to new players.
Almulla, Saudi Arabia’s first professional golfer, will bring leadership and experience to the national lineup. Almulla has been a part of the national golf program for more than a decade.
Salhab and Attieh have come through the national pathway and now compete regularly against leading fields in the region.
Al-Sharif remains a core member of Saudi national teams and continues to build his experience across a range of events. The inclusion of emerging amateur Alnajran reflects the opportunity for promising amateurs to test themselves in a high-performance environment.
