Press Release
August 17, 2016

Senate congratulates Olympic Silver Medalist Hidilyn Diaz

The Senate today adopted a resolution congratulating Hidilyn Diaz for winning the silver medal in the Women's 53kg category in weightlifting in the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil last August 8, 2016.

Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, chair of the Committee on Sports and sponsor of Senate Resolution No. 83, said Diaz deserves to be commended for the honor and international recognition she has brought to the country.

Similar resolutions were also filed by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senators Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, JV Ejercito and Nancy Binay.

"Diaz, who competed in her third straight Olympics after participating in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, took the silver medal in the Women's Weightlifting 53-kg Division ending a 20-year medal drought," the resolution said.

Chinese Taipei's Shu-Ching Hsu brought home the gold medal while Korean Jin Hee Yoon won the bronze medal.

Diaz, a native of Zamboanga, qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning three bronze medals in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championship in Houston, Texas. Before Diaz, Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, Jr. was the last athlete to win a silver medal in boxing in the 1996 Olympic games held in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Filipina weightlifter received P 5 million from the Philippine Government upon her arrival last August 11 under the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Law authored by Angara. (Olivia Caunan)

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