This girl can lift; Diaz ends PH drought

PARA sa bayan, Manny Pacquiao always says whenever he talks about his fights that earn him billions of pesos (Is he still fighting the BIR over taxes?) but it took a 25-year-old girl from Zamboanga City to show the country what that really means in sports.

Hidilyn Diaz, a 17-year-old debutant in Beijing and a 21-year-old disappointment in London, living in almost obscurity in the previous four years with scant support, ended the country's medal drought in the Olympics after lifting a total of 200 kilos in the 53-kilo division.

She had 88 in the snatch, while the leaders breached the century mark, but powered her way to the podium with 112 in the clean and jerk. To put that in perspective, she competes in the 53-kilo division, a sack of rice weighs 50 kilos and for the macho men out there who brags their sport of choice is 'gulping,' a case of beer with 24 bottles weighs between 16 and 19 kilos.

Weightlifting, one of the obscure sports in the country, ended our drought and that just shows that perhaps, we have overlooked other sports because they are not too glamorous?

Diaz has made weightlifting glamorous and she'll be PH sport's new darling. Heck, I think pizza companies will be competing to get her since she decided to reward herself a “pizza as cheesy as her” after winning the silver medal.

There used to be regular 5 in 1 weighlifting contests in Cebu but the closure of Baseline Restaurant meant an end to that. I know Diaz was a regular competitor here and her showing in Rio will give the sport that shot in the arm.

Diaz's showing, too, may perhaps show the pro boxers that there's another way to secure their families' futures. A lot of champions turned down a chance to fight in Rio, understandbly so because some of the sanctioning bodies barred them, but for those fighting just below radar of world bodies, an Olympic medal can guarantee their families' future.

Diaz will get P5 million and a house and lot and that's just the start. She's also set to receive a lifetime pension. A gold medal is worth P10 million, and you need to be at the level of Pacquiao or Nonito Donaire to earn more than that in a world title fight.

Boxing in the 2020 Olympics for the Philippines might just see more pros in the team; thanks to Hidilyn.