ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 30, 2020
Tila nagpaparamdam na si 2016 Rio Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz na maaaring huling beses na itong sasalang bilang atleta sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics sa susunod na taon.
Naghahanap ng kanyang ikaapat na pagtuntong sa prestihiyosong Summer Olympic Games ang 29-anyos na Zamboanga City-native na dalawang beses naunsyami ang Olympic Qualifying event sa 2020 Asian Championship sa Kazakhstan, na kalauna’y inilipat sa Uzbekistan, ngunit dahil sa pananalasa ng novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic ay tuluyan na itong nakansela. Nauna ng nagpartisipa ang 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games champion sa 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, at 2016 Rio; at maaaring maging huling salta na ni Diaz sakaling palarin sa Tokyo.
“I hope so. Because I need life after sports. I don’t know what my body will say… 'Oh, you need to rest. Your body cannot do it anymore'. As you age, you lose your ability for heavy lifting,” pahayag ni Diaz sa panayam ng Olympicchannel.com.
Gayunpaman, bago nito tuluyang ilapag ang mga nagbibigatang barbell plates at bars, pipiliting masiguro muna ng Zamboangena weightlifter na makamit ang kauna-unahang gintong medalya ng Pilipinas sa Summer Olympic Games. Tiwala itong kaya niyang higitan ang nakamit na medalya sa Rio Games at talunin ang mga hadlang sa kanyang pangarap na gintong medalya na sina 2-time Olympic (2012 London at 2016 Rio) champion Ching Hsu Shu ng Chinese Taipei, Chinese weightlifters Liao Qiuyon, Zhang Wanquiong, at Li Yajun, 2018 Asian Games opponents Kristina Sermetowa ng Turkmenistan at Surodchana Khambao ng Thailand at SEAG runner up Nguyen Thi Tuy ng Vietnam.
“I'm still continuing this journey towards the Olympics because I believe that I can win. I believe that God has a plan for me that I believe that I will win at the Olympic Games for the Philippines,” saad ni Diaz.
Malaki ang paniniwala ng 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion na makapagbigay pa ito ng inspirasyon sa lahat ng mga Filipinos sa pagpapakita ng matinding sakripisyo at paninindigan sa pagsasanay para sa bayan.
“Everyone who competes in the Olympics wants to win a medal, but when I won silver I realised that I had become a public figure. Everyone was looking at me, and I realised that I have a responsibility to the Filipinos, and to be a good influence. So that's the power of being an Olympic medallist. You have the ability to influence the younger generation,” wika ng 3-time bronze medalist sa World Championships.
Susubukan ni Diaz na masamahan sa Olympiad na nauna ng nakakuha ng ticket sina pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” Obiena, Carlos “Caloy” Yulo ng Gymnastics at boxers Eumir Felix Marcial at Irish Magno ng women’s flyweight, habang aasa rin ang iba pang mga atleta kagaya nina 2018 Asian Palembang skateboard champion Margielyn Didal, 4-time SEA Games gold medalist judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, 2019 World amateur featherweight champion Nesthy Petecio at iba pang mga atletang aabot sa mahigit 80 na susubok na makapasa sa pagbubukas ng iba’t ibang Olympic Qualifying tournaments sa susunod na taon.
“It would be a symbol of God and a symbol of my sacrifices in training and the people behind me. It’s also a symbol Filipinos can make it. We can win the gold medal at the Olympics. There's no doubt about it, we can win. It's inspirational for younger generations.”