Hidilyn Diaz won’t be getting any incentives after she missed the bronze medal by three kilograms in the women’s 55-kg category of the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan recently.
But she doesn’t mind at all. After all, her participation netted Diaz a fourth straight stint in the Olympics, to be held in Tokyo, Japan in July.
Diaz clinched an Olympic berth after completing the International Weightlifting Federation’s requirement of competing in five tournaments. Diaz is currently ranked no. 5 in the IWF rankings in the women’s 55 kilogram.
While Japan is where Diaz hopes to win it all, in Uzbekistan, she took a backseat to her teammates, who bagged medals.
Philippine lifters, mostly women, won a total of two golds, six silvers and three bronze medals in the Asian tournament. As a result, a total cash bonus of P2.65 million awaits the lifters upon their return to the country.
Philippine Sports Commission executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy said the sports body is reviewing the cash doleouts to be handed national team members, who have won medals during the weeklong meet.
“Republic Act 10699 provides incentives for the medalists,” said Iroy.
Cebuana bet Elreen Ando, for grabbing two silvers and a bronze with record-breaking lifts in the women’s 64-kg final, is set to receive around P650,000.
Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sarno is expected to bring home P1.25 million after earning two gold medals and a silver when she took the women’s 71-kg crown last Wednesday.
Mary Flor Diaz bagged three silvers in the women’s 45-kg division final last Sunday, giving her incentives totalling P450,000.
Kristel Macrohon, who settled for two bronze medals in the women’s 64-kilogram division, gets P300,000
The 24-year-old Macrohon lifted a national record-setting 99 on her third attempt in the snatch and followed it with a 126 in the clean and jerk.
Her total gave Macrohon a national record-smashing tally of 225 and a third-place place finish behind gold medallist Zhang Wang Li of China and second placer Kim Suhyeon of Korea.
