Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz shows her lifting form during a weightlifting equipment donation at the Sisters of Mary Boys Town in Talisay, Cebu. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Weightlifters from Cebu got a boost from Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo as part of the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist’s mission to give back to the sport and bolster the grassroots program .
Diaz-Naranjo distribute equipment to four weightlifting gyms in Cebu last week, after also donating to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) late last month and three local weightlifting gyms in Metro Manila in October.
“It’s 660 days before Paris Olympics, we’ve completed Phase 3 TeamHD grassroots initiative in Cebu. We’re grateful for those who support and believe in our mission,” said Diaz, who is also eyeing a fifth straight Olympics stint, in Filipino.
With the help of AirAsia, Mazda and SpartPH, the team of Diaz-Naranjo distributed weightlifting rig to the Sisters of Mary Boys Town, Consolacion Weightlifting Gym, University of Cebu and Carreta Weightlifting Gym.
“We wanted to donate a lot of equipment to the weightlifting community. Just like how I won the Olympics, you need a team to accomplish this and we wouldn’t have been about to do it without their support, Diaz also said.
“I’m happy that we got to Phase 3,” said Diaz-Naranjo. “My husband Julius helped with me with our goal to make weighlifting more popular in the Philippines.”