Olympic gold medalist Diaz-Naranjo donates weightlifting equipment to Cebu teams

Photo caption: Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo (fifth from right) joins UC president. Atty. Augusto Go (third from left, second row) in a group photo during her visit to the University of Cebu to donate the weightlifting equipment. | Photo from Manuel Elijah Sarausad

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Despite her busy schedule, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, visited Cebu to donate weightlifting equipment to various groups over the weekend.

One of Diaz’s beneficiaries was the University of Cebu (UC), which she visited personally to hand over the weightlifting equipment.

UC’s Executive Vice Chancellor Manuel Elijah Sarausad, in a post, thanked Diaz-Naranjo for dropping by and turning over a set of a weightlifting bar and plates that will be used for training of their athletes. 

Those who will utilize the equipment are UC’s young weightlifters who will vie in the Batang Pinoy Games in December in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. 

UC president Atty. Augusto Go welcomed Diaz and her husband and trainer Julius Irvin Naranjo at his office. 

Joining them were Cebuana Olympic weightlifter Elreen Ando and her teammates from the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP). 

Besides UC, Diaz-Naranjo also dropped by the Municipality of Consolacion in northern Cebu to donate a separate set of weightlifting bar and plates. 

It can also be recalled that Diaz visited Cebu a few days after Typhoon Odette ravaged the Visayas region to hand out relief goods to fellow weightlifters of the SWP.

Diaz-Naranjo along with Ando and seven other Filipino weightlifters are gearing up for the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia from December 5 to 16, 2022. 

Diaz-Naranjo will compete in her forte, the 55-kilogram women’s category, which she dominated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to win the first gold medal for the Philippines. 

/bmjo

READ MORE: 

Hidilyn shares blessings to typhoon-affected weightlifters in Cebu