Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz gets a shot at measuring her gold-medal chances in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she competes against Rio de Janeiro winner Hsu Shu-ching of Chinese Taipei in the Asian Indoor Games in Turkmenistan later this year and during the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Another dangerous foe for the 24-year-old pride of Zamboanga City in both meets is former world champion Li Yajun of China, who missed the medal podium in the women’s 53-kilogram category in Rio after failing to accomplish her final lift for the gold.
“I’m looking forward to these tournaments and I need to beat them (Hsu and Li) there,” said Diaz during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City. “If I can win over them in these tournaments, there’s a big chance I can win in the Olympics.”
Meanwhile, the Philippine women’s volleyball team will use the coming Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur to gauge its competitiveness for the 2018 Asian Games.
“The SEA Games is something that we really need to take seriously as other countries are taking it seriously as well,” said Philippine Olympic Committee first vice president Joey Romasanta.
The Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. under acting president Peter Cayco has conducted a series of tryouts at Arellano gym in Pasay as well as in Cebu and Davao City to find those talents who could fit the association’s dream team for the KL Games on Aug. 19 to 31.