IT SEEMS Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo isn’t hanging up her lifting belt just yet, as she’s been named by the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) to the roster for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.
Even with her packed schedule as a coach aiming to spread the sport nationwide, the 34-year-old Diaz is expected to return to competition and isn’t planning to retire anytime soon.
As reported by Spin.ph, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist shared that she’s still finding time to train, despite juggling her duties mentoring future lifters at the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy in Jala-Jala, Rizal.
She also played a big role in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, where weightlifting was featured as a demo sport last summer in Ilocos Norte.
One More Lift
Diaz’s plate remains full after she recently partnered with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch what will become the country’s biggest weightlifting academy.
The collaboration aims to boost school-based athletic programs where Filipino talent can shine, aligning with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s vision as shared in his latest State of the Nation Address.
In a recent talk with PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara mentioned that at least 300 schools across the country now run special sports programs, allowing young athletes more time for focused training and development.
Busy as she may be leading the growth of weightlifting, Diaz emphasized that her training has ramped up since being officially named to the Philippine team in the women’s 58kg division.
“Ngayon po kasi, naka-lineup ako for SEA Games. Pero titignan natin kasi malaking responsibilidad itong binigay sa akin sa Palarong Pambansa pero nagte-training pa rin ako,” Diaz said.
“Nag-tetraining ako the whole year pero ‘yung seryoso, sumasakit na ‘yung katawan ko. Kinakabahan na ako. Posible (mag-compete sa SEA Games),” she went on to say.
Diaz last saw action in April 2024 at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, which served as a qualifier for the Summer Games. She fell short of making a comeback to the Olympics, with Elreen Ando clinching the berth instead.
