by Waylon Galvez
Olympian Hidilyn Diaz hopes her sacrifices during her nearly two months of training in China will yield positive result again as she competes in the Asian Championship in Ningbo, China.
Diaz described her training at the Wushishan Sports Training Center in China as ‘painful’ both physically and mentally, considering she spent longer hours this time to learn more techniques and improve her confidence.
She ought to since the Ningbo tournament is a qualifier to the Tokyo Games.
And Diaz appears to be fully motivated, saying: “I know I am ready for this tournament because of the kind of training I had the previous two months. But of course, we’ll see the results during the competition.
Diaz returned to the country last week for a short break then booked a return flight to China the other day for the qualifier.
“More than the techniques I learned during the training, it’s more about finding myself again competing at this level. It’s about regaining my focus and confidence, and telling myself, I can still do it,” she added.
Aside from Diaz, other Filipinos taking part in the Asian meet are Mary Diaz (45kg), Rosegie Ramos (49kg), Margaret Colonia (59kg), Elreen Anne Ando (64kg) and Kristel Macrohon (71kg).
Also vying are Jan Pabuar (55kg), Nestor Colonia (61kg), Jeff Garcia (67kg) and Jones Buda (81kg.)
