Diaz, Obiena say they’re ready for the Tokyo Olympics in July

LESS than three months before the world’s biggest sporting event unfolds in Tokyo, two Filipino bets have reached the final stretch of their buildup, looking good and feeling fine of rising to the tough challenge and giving a long-suffering nation a reason to smile come the Olympic Games.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and pole vaulter EJ Obiena, two of seven Filipinos athletes who’ve qualified for the Summer Games scheduled to kick off in July, talked about their preparations and shared to sportswriters how they went about their respective training amid the pandemic during an online presser organized by longtime sports supporter Summit Natural Drinking Water.

“Even in quarantine, nag-training pa rin kami,” said Diaz, a silver medalist in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics who’s into her fourth appearance in the Summer Games, the most by any Filipino athlete thus far.

The pride and joy of Zamboanga City missed a podium finish in the final Olympic qualifier two weeks ago in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, finishing only fourth in an event ruled by a Chinese. But it was good enough to give the Pinay strongwoman to make to the Team Philippines going to Japanese capital.

“Dadagdagan ang instensity training mula sa dating 6-8 weeks magiging 7-9 o 8-10 sessions a week na. Last three months na lang so kailangang ibuhos na,” Diaz, now 30, and apparently in her final Olympic appearance, added.

Like Hidilyn, Obiena told sportswriters of his condition going into the final phase of a long, tedious buildup in Italy, where he’s been based since 2019.

For the 25-year-old Obiena, he feels optimistic of his chances in delivering the country’s first Olympic medal in athletics since Filipino-American Miguel White claimed a 400m hurdles bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games.

“I feel good, I’m stronger and faster I’ve ever been. It’s a very good place where I am right now and mentally, just try to be as strong as I can be,” said the Southeast Asian Games pole vault gold medalist and record-holder and the first Filipino athlete to qualify to the Tokyo Games.

The two Olympians are the newest brand ambassadors of Summit, which reaffirmed its commitment to backing local sports and Filipino athletes, including those going to Tokyo.

“We don’t have plans of stopping even though there are challenges. I think it’s pretty much the brand’s advocacy to support Filipino athletes,” said Asia Brewery Inc. marketing manager Jill Villanueva during the presser.

The five other athletes who’ve qualified are boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and world gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo, who, like Obiena and Diaz, are presently training overseas.

Marcial had just arrived from Los Angeles, where he made a triumphant debut as a professional while training for the Games under Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach, while the three other fighters are in Thailand where they pitched camp along with other Pinoy boxers preparing for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam this December.

A few others are also expected to qualify, like golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan and skateboarder Margielyn Didal.

In fact, Mariano Araneta, the football president and Team Philippines Chef de Mission, is saying 15 to 20 athletes will likely comprise the Tokyo-bound Olympic squad.

Olympic qualifying in skateboarding, karate and a few other events where the Philippines has entries have yet to be concluded.

Only a few days ago, Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham Tolentino said he’s confident that anyone of these athletes can finally deliver the country’s first ever gold medal in the Olympics, which was supposed to be staged last year but was postponed due to COVID-19.

“I feel the long wait (to win an Olympic gold medal) will be over in Tokyo. Makakaisa tayo ngayon,” said Tolentino during a guesting at the Philippine Sportswriters Association online Sports Forum. “Our athletes have prepared well for this one despite the pandemic”.

POC deputy secretary-general and Philippine sepak takraw chief Karen Caballero lauded Summit for its continuous support to Filipino athletes.

“The POC can’t do it alone, it takes a lot of private sector support to do it and we’re appreciative of Summit for being with us all these years. Summit has always been a teammate of the Philippine team for all these years,” said Caballero.