Duterte hails Diaz

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has congratulated weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for giving the Philippines its first gold medal in the ongoing 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia.

Duterte made a special announcement of Diaz’s golden performance in his speech during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Visayas Clusters conference in Cebu City Tuesday night.

“I’d like to make an announcement. In Jakarta, we won the first gold medal, weightlifting. ‘Yun nanalo ng ano, kung may panahon lang sana ako, Hidilyn Diaz. Ito ‘yun sundalo. Sundalo ito ng ano Philippine Army. Wow! (The winner, I hope I have a chance, Hidilyn Diaz. Is this the soldier? She is a member of Phil--

ippine Army. Wow!),” Duterte said, drawing applause from the audience.

Diaz, a silver medalist in the 2016 Olympics, captured the gold medal in the women’s 53kg category event, making her the first Filipino weightlifter to win gold in Asian Games.

She bested 11 other competitors including silver medalist Kristina Shermetova of Turkmenistan and bronze winner Surodchana Khambao of Thailand.

With her victory, the Philippines has matched its one gold finish courtesy of BMX rider Daniel Caluag in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. It was the country’s worst finish in 24 years.

Diaz, a native of Zamboanga, will reportedly receive a total cash incentive of P6 million, including P2 million from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

POC president Ricky Vargas said he was overjoyed by Diaz’s huge win, thanked her for serving as an inspiration to other Filipino athletes competing in the quadrennial meet.

“You made the country proud again. You are an inspiration to your fellow athletes who will surely want to emulate you,” Vargas said in a press statement.

Diaz also stands to get P2 million from Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the government’s sports agency, through Republic Act 10699 or an act expanding the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.

The Siklab Foundation and the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong have promised to give P1 million each to every Filipino gold winner.

The Philippines now has one gold and four bronze medals.