Philippine Asiad Medalists Receive Incentives

Manila MINA — All the Filipino athletes who have won medals in the recent Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia have received their incentives in a simple rite presided by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, The Manila Times reported.

The gold medalists in the recent Asiad, namely the PH women’s golf team, skate boarder Margielyn Arda Didal and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz were given P4 million or Rp 1.1billion each (P2M from the government and P2M from President Duterte himself).

Diaz said she would probably use the money to start a business and support her training for the 2020 Olympics.

Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines competes in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 21.

“I felt proud meeting the president. It boosted our morale and made us proud being a Filipino,” said the weightlifter Diaz who also won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics.”

Didal, 19, who will be joining the Exposure All-girls event tournament in San Diego California, USA on November 3 to 4, shared a similar plan.

“I’m planning of using it for my family, house, and save some of it for the future and of course for my training in the 2020 Olympics in Japan.”

Didal was also amused by the lightheartedness of the President

“It’s heartwarming that the president joked a lot.”

Meanwhile, golfer Yuka Saso, teammate of Bianca Pagdanganan and Louis Kaye Go, said she would donate her incentive to the National Golf Association of the Philippines since she is not entitled to receive cash rewards because of her status as an amateur athlete.

“I want the money to be used to support young golfers,” said Saso, who won the gold in individual and team events in the recent Asian Games.   (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)