By CARLO ANOLIN
The De La Salle-College of St. Benilde became the latest institution to honor Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
Taking Business Management in CSB, Diaz was recognized anew for bringing home the country’s first Olympic gold medal in a simple ceremony held at the Benilde Sports and Dormitory Complex in Pasay City Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Zamboanga native lifter became the first recipient of the Benilde Medallion, College of St. Benilde’s “highest expression of institutional recognition and appreciation of individuals or institutions for their extraordinary achievements and contributions.”
The CSB, through its President Br. Edmundo “Dodo” Fernandez FSC, also announced that an athletic scholarship called “Benilde Hidilyn Diaz Scholarship for Athletes” in honor of the lady weightlifter herself is set to be launched in the coming school year 2022-2023.
Diaz will also take part in the screening process for five fellow national athletes.
“Thank you so much po sa ibinigay ninyong Medallion na ako pala ang kauna-unahang nabigyan ninyo (Thank you so much for giving me this Medallion),” said Diaz, who was named the 2021 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year.
“Tapos ang pinakamasaya po ako siguro dahil sa ibibigay na scholarships sa mga national athletes. Malaking bagay po ‘yon sa akin kasi hindi nga kami parating atleta. Kailangan po kaming mag-aral at sa Benilde ang dami ko pong natutunan.”
The pride of Zamboanga was also given a collection of 20 books, an anthology particularly called “The Road to Excellence” which comprises a total of 100 published featured stories of Diaz from 2016 up to the present.
The said anthology narrates Diaz’s humble beginnings as a young weightlifter from Zamboanga to becoming the first Filipino to capture a gold medal in the Olympics.
Diaz is also the second Filipino athlete to bag multiple Olympic medals after the late swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, who won two bronzes in the 1928 and 1932 editions of the quadrennial Games.
“Gusto ko pong sabihin na kasama ko ang Benilde sa journey ko towards the [Olympic] gold medal. Thank you so much na kahit nag-stop ako sa school, tinanggap niyo pa rin ako ipagpatuloy kahit sa digital learning at ang dami ko pong natutunan while preparing for the Olympics,” added Diaz, who ended the country’s 20-year medal drought in the Olympics by taking home silver in the 2016 Rio Games.
“Of course, together with coach Julius [Naranjo]. Medyo mahirap pero naging posible. Mahirap maging estudyante at Olympian, naging posible kasi Benildean po ako. Naging extraordinary po ang pagkapanalo ko sa Olympics dahil Benildian ako (Of course, together with coach Julius, things were hard but it became possible. It’s difficult to be a student and an Olympian at the same time but it was possible because I’m a Benildean. My Olympic win became extraordinary because I’m a Benildean).”
