Diaz seeks SEAG glory

I want to win the SEA Games gold this time.

HIDILYN Diaz shoots for her first SEA Games gold.

Hidilyn Diaz shoots for glory when she competes in the women’s weightlifting competition of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

A silver medalist in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, Diaz has yet to win a SEA Games gold medal after plucking silver medals in the Palembang and Naypyitaw editions of the prestigious biennial conclave in 2011 and 2013 on top of a bronze medal in the Nakhon Ratchasima meet in 2007.

But with vast experience under her belt and the absence of distinguished lifters from Thailand, the door to SEA Games glory suddenly swung wide open for the star athlete from Zamboanga to enter.

“Of course, we’re proud to represent our country and show that we can stand up against foreign competitors,” said Diaz during the launch of Thirst For The Win, Summit Natural Drinking Water’s campaign to drum up support for the national athletes.

“But our journey isn’t easy. Most of the time, we find ourselves, asking if we’re on the right track or why are we doing this. Then, we realize that at the end of the day, we’re doing this for the love of the country. That’s why we need the support of our friends, families and our countrymen to make our SEA Games dream a reality.”

Diaz is the most decorated Filipino athlete of this generation.

She started her career at 11 years old and saw action in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and London Olympics in 2012 until finally plucking the silver medal in the women’s -55kg category of the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016.

The following year, she grabbed the gold medal in the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan followed by another golden performance in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta last year.

But there’s an important hardware missing in her collection.

“I want to win the SEA Games gold this time,” said Diaz, who is one of the favored bets in weightlifting aside from fellow Olympian Nestor Colonia and rising stars Vanessa Sarno, Eileen Ann Ando, Kristel Macrohon and Margaret Colonia.

The 16-year-old Sarno, in fact, just won two gold medals in the Asian Junior and Youth Championships in Pyongyang, giving her a handsome chance to emerge victorious in her first SEA Games attempt.

And Diaz and her team need all the support they can get.

“We can’t do it alone. Winning in the SEA Games requires a lot of trust, a lot of faith and a lot of prayers from our countrymen, who never get tired of supporting us.”