For bringing pride and glory to the Philippines with every lift throughout an extraordinary career, weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz is set to be inducted into the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Hall of Fame.
The humble athlete from Zamboanga City etched the name of the Philippines in Olympic history by winning its first gold medal in nearly a century.
She will receive this prestigious honor during the San Miguel Corporation-PSA Awards Night at the Manila Hotel on January 27.
At 33 years old, Diaz’s career is still fresh from her historic gold-medal achievement at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a defining moment that capped her stellar journey.
Her success not only gave the Philippines its first Olympic gold but also solidified her legacy as one of the country’s greatest athletes.
From her early beginnings in the small barangay of Mampang, Diaz’s impact has extended far beyond her Olympic victory, making her a deserving candidate for the PSA Hall of Fame alongside the best in Philippine sports.
This year’s PSA Awards Night, the grandest in its history, will also feature Carlos Yulo, the country’s first-ever Olympic double gold medalist, who will be honored with the prestigious Athlete of the Year award.
The event, co-presented by ArenaPLus, Cignal, and MediaQuest, is made even more special as it marks the first time the country’s two Olympic champions will share the spotlight together.
The evening is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, Januarius Holdings, as well as the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, Rain or Shine, AcroCity, and Akari.
Diaz’s induction into the PSA Hall of Fame follows in the footsteps of other legendary athletes such as track and field icon Lydia De Vega, who was honored in 2022.
Other Hall of Fame inductees include bowlers Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo, chess grandmaster Eugene Torre, pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, the late FIDE president Florencio Campomanes, and boxing great Manny Pacquiao.
Diaz’s journey has been one of perseverance and resilience.
The daughter of a tricycle driver turned farmer and fisherman, she began weightlifting at the age of nine, using makeshift barbells.
Her dedication led her to her first major competition in the 2002 Batang Pinoy, and by 2004, she had earned a spot on the national team at just 13 years old.
She earned her first medal, a bronze, at the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima Southeast Asian Games when she was only 16.
The following year, she made her Olympic debut in the 2008 Beijing Games as a wild card entry. Though she qualified again for the 2012 London Games, she returned empty-handed for the second time.
It wasn’t until the 2016 Rio Olympics that Diaz broke through, winning a silver medal in the women’s 53kg category.
Her silver medal ended the Philippines’ 20-year drought without an Olympic medal and set the stage for her groundbreaking gold in Tokyo four years later.
A four-time Filipino Olympic multi-medalist, alongside Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, and the late Teofilo Yldefonso, Diaz has also won gold at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games, and SEA Games, cementing her place among the Philippines’ greatest sports heroes.
