A cinch for SEA Games gold, Hidilyn has Tokyo in mind

Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz joins young athletes during Monday’s flag ceremony at the Rizal park to show support for the upcoming SEA games – Marianne Bermudez

Hidilyn Diaz went up the medal podium and claimed a pair of bronze medals during the 2019 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

Though she shared the stage in the women’s 55-kilogram category of the tourney with two Chinese rivals, the weightlifting heroine from Zamboanga City didn’t pull off the feat all by herself.

“I have a team that helps me prepare and perform well in these tournaments. They provide the assistance and help bring out the best in me,” said Diaz, ranked third in the world in her category.

It will be the same team that will reinforce the Olympic gold-medal bid of Diaz in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games after bagging a silver medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Foreign coach Kaiwen Gao has been instrumental in the improvement of Diaz, as well as psychologist Karen Trinidad, nutritionist Jeaneth Aro, physiotherapist Rico Barin, masseur Belan Balas and strength coach Julius Naranjo.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has provided the financial muscle behind Team Diaz to excel, with help also coming from private backers Phoenix Petroleum and MVP Sports Foundation.

“I just have to focus on training and not let distractions get in the way as I aim to qualify for the Olympics,” said Diaz, seeking a historic fourth straight appearance in the quadrennial global Games.

For the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games where Diaz is a cinch to win the gold, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) is more concerned how Filipino lifters will qualify and fare in Tokyo.

“We are more preoccupied with winning medals in the Olympics,” said SWP president Monico Puentevella.

“In fact, we’re preparing to send more athletes to the Olympics aside from Hidilyn and Nestor [Colonia]. We have a lot of young players in the pool,” said Puentevella, a former Bacolod City mayor and commissioner of the PSC.

Also vying for tickets in Tokyo next year are women lifters Kristel Macrohon, Eileen Ann Ando and Margaret Colonia.