WEIGHTLIFTER Hidilyn Diaz has no plans of retiring just yet.
The words of President Rodrigo Duterte during the Philippine Team’s sendoff ceremony before the delegation left for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics stuck in her mind.
“Na-inspire po ako noong sendoff. Kasi, ipinakita niya ang suporta, at nagbigay siya ng suporta,” said Diaz when she met President Duterte in Panacana, Davao del Sur, five hours after she arrived in the country.
She said that she was ready to quit after she had a difficult year in 2014.
Her former coach was replaced at that time and she did not qualify for the Asian Games. Diaz was also not allowed to compete in the Asian Championships.
But after bagging the silver medal in the ongoing Olympiad, things are looking up for Hidilyn.
“Kasi po ngayon pa lang po nami-miss ko na ang pagbubuhat,” Diaz said moments after arriving from Rio as she was greeted by her parents at the airport.
The 25-year-old Diaz is now hoping to make her fourth Olympic appearance in Tokyo in 2020.
“Parang ayoko nang mag-retire. Nami-miss ko na ang pagbubuhat. Siguro hindi ako papayag na silver lang, sana gold na,” she added.
In recognition of the hardships that the Olympic silver medalist faced through the years, she received another check worth P2-million from President Duterte on Thursday evening, on top of the P5-million incentive given her by the government for her silver-medal feat.
A total of P7.5 million in cash is now in the hands of Diaz for her feat the Rio Olympics.
This was after the City of Zamboanga gave her a victory parade upon her arrival at the airport with teammate Nestor Colonia and on her way to residence in Mampang, where she was given a P500,000 check through Mayor Beng Climaco.