WINNING TEAM. Hidilyn Diaz (center) credits ‘Team HD’ for her Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. This undated photo shows Zamboanga City’s pride with (from left) strength and conditioning coach Julius Naranjo, nutritionist Jeaneth Aro, sports psychologist Dr. Karen Trinidad, and coach Kaiwen Gao. (Photo courtesy of Hidilyn Diaz Facebook)
MANILA – The House of Representatives on Monday conferred the first-ever Congressional Medal of Excellence on weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for giving the Philippines its first Olympic gold medal in the ongoing Tokyo Games.
The chamber adopted House Resolution 2041 commending the 30-year-old Diaz, while the Congressional award was institutionalized through a separate resolution.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the author of the measure, said the Zamboanga City native deserves “gratitude and recognition from every single Filipino” after clinching the very first top podium finish for the Philippines in the quadrennial meet.
He said Diaz serves as an inspiration to Filipinos, especially young women and athletes.
“Hidilyn Diaz’s fighting heart and indomitable spirit has ignited hope and dreams in our country reeling from the current pandemic and economic downturn by bringing honor and pride to all Filipinos, whether in the country or abroad,” he said in the resolution.
The resolution was co-authored by Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano.
The lower chamber also adopted House Resolution 1981 seeking to institutionalize the Congressional Medal of Excellence for athletes who win gold medal at the Olympic Games.
The Philippines has participated in every Olympic edition since 1924 in Paris, except for the 1980 Moscow Games where they joined 65 other countries that boycotted the meet because of the Russia-Afghan war.
Prior to Diaz’s gold, two boxers – Anthony Villanueva at the 1964 Tokyo Games and Onyok Velasco at the 1996 Atlanta Games – and Diaz herself at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, settled for silver medals.
Velasco said winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games, which he considers as the "world’s only truly global, multi-sport celebratory athletics competition", signifies the singular highest level of achievement of an athlete.
“There is a need for the House of Representatives to institutionalize the Congressional Medal of Excellence to particularly give honor and commendation to these exceptional modern-day national heroes in sports who win the gold medal in the Olympic Games,” the resolution said.
The award will immortalize the athletes' achievements and give them a legacy to leave behind by "providing future generations with inspirational lessons that they can take to heart".
The other congressional medals are the Congressional Medal of Distinction for Filipino achievers in sports, business, medicine, science, and arts and culture; and Congressional Medal of Achievement for political, economic, and cultural leaders, who have distinguished themselves through their lives, works, and visions. (PNA)
