Hidilyn Diaz to build weightlifting gym with P5-M cash incentive

Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz on Monday night said she is planning use her P5-million reward to put up a gym in Zamboanga City to train more Filipino weightlifters.

"Bibilin ko yung lupa sa side ng bahay namin tapos mag tatayo ang ako ng weightlifting gym. To have more weightlifters in our country, to bring more world medalists, Olympians..." Diaz said in an interview on State of the Nation.

During the interview, Diaz recalled what happened behind the scenes before she was awarded with the Olympic silver medal.

"Sa totoo lang that time, nagpe-pray pa ako kay God, nagpe-praise pa ako sa Kanya. Hindi ko naisip yung nangyari sa kanya (the Chinese)," Diaz said in an interview with Mariz Umali and Joseph Morong on State of the Nation on Monday night.

Stumped why the people around her seemed happy, she asked what had happened.

"Sabi ng Chinese Taipeh, 'You're second! You're second!" Diaz said.

"What?! Silver medal. I'm happy with bronze medal!" she exclaimed.

"Wow God, you're so good. Wow. Yung imposible naging posible sa Kanya," said Diaz, who became the country's first Olympic medalist since Onyok Velasco also took a silver in boxing 20 years ago in Atlanta.

The weightlifter from Chinese Taipeh won the gold while a South Korean bagged the bronze. —NB/ALG, GMA News