(Matapos ang Tokyo Olympics) DIAZ MAGRERETIRO NA?

Hidilyn Diaz

HULING pagsabak na ni Brazil Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz ang Tokyo Olympics sa susunod na taon, ayon kay Weightlifting Association of the Philippines president Monico Puentevella.

“Tama na. Pang-apat na Olympics na ito ni Diaz kung  sakaling mag-qualify siya. Hindi na siya bata. She’s 29 years old. It’s high time to call it quit and focus her attention to her personal life and turnover the baton to young lifters of her caliber,” sabi ni Puentevella.

“Hidilyn has nothing to prove. She won medals in the Olympics, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, Asian Weightlifting, ASEAN Weightlifting at Asian Indoor Games. She is a class by herself and the only Pinoy lifter who won silver in the Olympics and the only Filipino athlete competed three times in the Olympics,” wika ni Puentevella.

Si Diaz ay naglaro sa tatlong Olympics sa Greece, London at Brazil at naging flag bearer sa 2010 Beijing Asian Games.

Kung papalarin, sisikapin ni Diaz na mahigitan ang silver medal na kanyang napanalunan sa Brazil Olympics.

Sinabi ni Puentevella na nakasisiguro na si Diaz na makapaglaro sa Tokyo dahil nanalo ito sa lima sa pitong qualifying na ginawa sa Thailand, Italy, Indonesia, Asian weightlifting at SEA Games.

“Diaz most likely will make it because she is within the magic circle,” dagdag ni Puentevella.

Lalaban si Diaz sa 55 kg weight category na kanyang dinomina sa nakaraang SEA Games sa Pinas kung saan bumuhat ang Pinay ng 91 kg sa snatch at 120 kg  sa clean and jerk para sa kabuuang  211kg.

Kumpiyansa si Puentevella na muling magtatagumpay ang anak ng tricycle driver mula Zamboanga at masungkit ang mailap na ginto na hindi napasakamay ng Pinas mula nang sumali sa Olympics noong 1924 sa Paris.

Lalaban si Diaz sa masusing gabay ni Chinese coach Kai Min Gao, katulong sina coach Tony Agustin at Ramon Solis. CLYDE MARIANO

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