Hidilyn Diaz gives Olympic silver medal to her mother.
After her silver medal finish in the women’s weightlifting in the Rio Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz received a grand welcome at the NAIA Terminal upon the arrival of her flight from Dubai, Thursday night.
With her parents, fellow members of the Philippine Air Force and countrymen eagerly awaiting her return, Hidilyn Diaz came home to NAIA Terminal 3 after a delayed flight.
The Philippine Air Force, of which Diaz is a member, lined up its other members on both sides of a hallway to lead the welcoming party. With the Air Force band playing in the background, Diaz, wearing her Air Force uniform and a big smile, emerged holding a bouquet of flowers.
She shook hands with some of her fellow Air Force members before she and her parents board a plane for Davao to make a courtesy call with President Duterte.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa inyo, sa warm welcome ninyo sa akin,” Diaz opened. “Sa pagkapanalo na ito, napakita natin na kaya natin lumaban sa ibang bansa, na kaya natin lumaban sa Olympics.”
The 25-year old weightlifter rescued the Philippines from a 20-year medal drought in the Olympics.
She became the only Filipino woman to ever bag hardware at the Olympics, breaking through the elite, previously all-male club called “The Great Eight”.
Diaz followed up Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco’s silver in boxing from 1996 in Atlanta with her second-place finish in women’s weightlifting to become the first Filipina Oympic medalist.
Above all, no welcome must have been warmer than that of her parents, Eduardo and Emelita. She immediately bestowed her silver medal to her mother, followed by an embrace.
Diaz called the silver a birthday gift to her mother, who celebrated her birthday the day before the weightlifting competition.
She gave Olympic silver medal to her mother. She hung her Olympic medal on her weeping mother, then gave her an embrace.
“Para sa kanya talaga yung medalyang ‘yon. It’s a birthday gift for her.”
“Sobrang saya ko. Gusto kong umiyak,” said Hidilyn upon seeing her parents at the airport.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, personally presented Diaz with a check for P5 million, her reward for the silver medal.