THE City of Angeles in Pampanga will set aside P2 million next year to support the establishment of a weightlifting training facility in the city.
The objective is to produce more athletes in the caliber of Olympic gold-medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
Diaz has a residence at the Decca Clark Resort and Residences, in Brgy. Margot, Angeles City, and trained in one of the CrossFit gyms in the city.
The availability of a training facility for weightlifters will allow them to train locally and help increase their potential to be able to compete in local and foreign sporting events.
The 30-year old Diaz trained in Malaysia for a year before heading to Tokyo, Japan for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
As a finalist in the Women’s 55kg weightlifting competition, she beat world-record holder Liao Quiyun of China and Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan in record-breaking fashion to win the country’s first Olympic gold medal after 97 years.
At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown last year and with no access to good equipment, Diaz had to improvise using bamboo broomsticks, resistance bands and bags stuffed with heavy objects or jugs of water to train, including large truck wheels.
In an Instagram post prior to her training in Malacca, Malaysia, Diaz was quoted as saying: “We were wondering where we would train and if our journey toward (the) Olympics will stop. Good thing I’m with good company and we became creative to find ways to train. We do everything to stay in track and in shape for Olympics,” Diaz was quoted as saying.
This development comes at a time when another Angelena, body builder Monique “Yuki” Guiao, will compete in the Philippine Body Building National Competition in Manila this August.
“Marami pong hirap na pinagdaanan ang ating champion na si Hidilyn Diaz para lang makamit ang isang karangalan sa ating bansa. Kung kaya minabuti po natin na suportahan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga weighlifters sa Angeles City,” according to Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr.
Earlier, after Diaz won the Gold, Lazatin announced that she will get a P200,000 cash incentive from the mayor.
Sports development is one of the mayor’s programs, who believes that engaging in sports contributes to an individual’s talents as well as mental health.