TOKYO: Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history on Monday when she became the first athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic gold medal.
The 30-year-old Rio 2016 silver medallist from the southern city of Zamboanga realized her dream in the women’s 55kg class at the Tokyo International Forum, smashing her personal best to see off world record holder Liao Qiuyun of China who had to settle for silver.
With Liao setting a target of 223kg, just four kilogrammes shy of her own world record, Diaz was faced with a final clean and jerk of 127kg to win — fully 5kg more than she had ever achieved in competition.
With a massive effort she hoisted the huge Olympic record weight and the tears of joy began to flow even before she dropped the bar to the floor after a triumphant effort.
Liao took the silver, with Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo the bronze 10kg adrift of the top two.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a dream, come true,” Diaz told AFP moments after the Philippines Air Force woman shed more tears on the podium as she saluted her flag and sung the national anthem.
“I want to say to the young generation in the Philippines, ‘You can have this dream of gold too’.
“This is how I started and finally I was able to do it.”
Diaz was already assured a place in her country’s sporting folklore, alongside the likes of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, as the only woman from the sprawling archipelago ever to win an Olympic medal — her surprise silver five years ago breaking a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines.
Diaz spent the last year and a half training in exile in Malaysia because of Covid restrictions, so dedicated was she to claim an unprecedented gold in her fourth and probably final Games.
“I’m looking forward to going back home to the Philippines to be with my family because I really miss them,” she said, choking up once more with emotion.
“I’m looking forward now to enjoy my life after so many sacrifices.”
Diaz’s medal was just the 11th by the Philippines since they first took part in the Olympics in 1924, and now the only gold.
Diaz became just the second athlete from her country to win multiple Olympic medals, joining swimmer Teofilo Yldefonzo who won bronze in the men’s 200m breaststroke in 1928 and 1932.
She became a national hero for her exploits in Rio and her profile soared when she won Asian Games gold in Jakarta in 2018.
But on that occasion China were suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation for multiple doping violations.
China have been dominant since their return later in 2018 and have had it all their own way so far in Tokyo in the absence of fierce rivals North Korea.
The first three weightlifting golds were all won by Chinese athletes — in the women’s 49kg through Hou Zhihui on Saturday and men’s winners Li Fabin (61kg) and Chen Lijun (67kg) on Sunday.
Liao was gracious in defeat as the Chinese gold rush in weightlifting was halted in stunning fashion.
“I really respect Diaz as an opponent because she did the best she could, in fact better than that and that is the ultimate,” Liao said.
“She did a better job and it is nice for all the people that were supporting her.”
Diaz, known as “Haidee,” has a huge social media following in her home country which is set to grow.
Internet platforms instantly turned her into the country’s top trending topic on Twitter as news of her win spread, upstaging President Rodrigo Duterte’s final State of the Nation address.
“Congratulations, Sgt Hidilyn Diaz!” tweeted the Armed Forces of the Philippines where the weightlifter is enlisted.
Vice President Leni Robredo said: “Big win for the Philippines!! Thank you for making us proud, Hidilyn.”
Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, congratulated Diaz “for bringing pride and glory to the Philippines.”
Weightlifter Diaz wins first ever Olympic gold for Philippines
https://arab.news/wb3jj
Weightlifter Diaz wins first ever Olympic gold for Philippines
Pakistan Cricket Board announces full ticket refunds for rain-washed Champions Trophy matches
- The matches were due to be played between Australia and South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan
- Ticket holders are eligible for a full refund if a Champion Trophy match is abandoned before toss
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a full ticket refund for Champions Trophy matches that were abandoned without a ball being bowled at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium last month, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The matches were due to be played between Australia and South Africa on Feb. 25, and Bangladesh and Pakistan on Feb. 27, but rain washed out both games in Rawalpindi.
According to the PCB Ticket Refund Policy for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ticket holders are eligible for a full refund if a match is abandoned before the toss.
“Ticket holders can claim their refund between 10th to 14th of this month [March],” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The purchaser will have to visit a designated outlet along with the original ticket.”
Hosts Pakistan crashed out of the tournament after a humiliating six-wicket loss to archrivals India.
The winner of Sunday’s match between India and New Zealand will play Australia in the semifinal, with the loser taking on South Africa.
Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to Pakistan because of political tensions.
New Zealand will leave for Lahore after Sunday’s match, with the second semifinal to be played at Qaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Champions Trophy: Kohli falls to ‘superman’ Phillips’ catch in 300th ODI
- Kohli fell for 11 runs off 14 balls after New Zealand invited India to bat first in Dubai
- The result of the match to decide the semifinal line-up of the 50-over tournament
DUBAI: New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss India great Virat Kohli in the batsman’s landmark 300th ODI in the final group match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Kohli fell for 11 off 14 balls after New Zealand invited India to bat first in Dubai with the result of the match to decide the semifinal line-up of the 50-over tournament.
But it was Phillips’ fielding marvel that brought the match alive as he dived full stretch to his right at backward point and held on to the ball traveling at a fast pace from Kohli’s bat off fast bowler Matt Henry.
Kohli, 36, stood in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging back to the pavilion as the fans went silent.
Social media, however, was soon abuzz with reactions to the catch: “The Superman of the tournament,” wrote one fan on X.
The winner of the match will play Australia in the semifinal, with the loser taking on South Africa.
Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan because of political tensions.
New Zealand will leave for Lahore after the match, with the second semifinal to be played at the Qaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Third-time lucky for Tsitsipas as he overcomes Auger-Aliassime to take Dubai title
- No. 4 seed triumphs over tour’s most in-form player in straight sets at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium to seal a maiden ATP 500 title and return to world’s Top 10
DUBAI: Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas made it third time lucky at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday night, defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 to claim his maiden ATP 500 title in front of a jubilant Centre Court under the lights at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
Making his first Dubai appearance since 2020, when he was defeated in the final by Novak Djokovic, and playing in his third final in four trips to the tournament, the World No. 11’s straight-sets victory ensured he became the first Greek player to claim glory in Dubai.
After eclipsing Lorenzo Sonego, Karen Khachanov, Matteo Berrettini, and Tallon Griekspoor en route to the Auger-Aliassime showdown, Tsitsipas delivered a stunning array of booming serves, powerful baseline winners, and delicate dropshots to dismantle his under-par opponent in an hour and 28 minutes.
Tsitsipas started slowly, forced to save two breakpoints early on and winning only three points across his opponent’s first three service games. Yet it was the No. 4 seed who secured the crucial breaks, first for 4-3 — helped by an Auger-Aliassime double-fault — and again to take the opening set. Crucially, again at 4-3 in the second, he secured the break that would ultimately lead to what he later dubbed his “final redemption” in Dubai.
“This is something that I have been fighting a long time for and it’s great to finally win here in Dubai,” Tsitsipas said after sealing a 12th career title. “My game kind of clicked and things seemed to work really well right from the beginning (of the match). It’s a big relief to finally hold the trophy at the third attempt. It was definitely something in the back of my mind, and I am very happy to have finally accomplished it. I’m proud I managed to handle the pressure and perform in those crucial moments.”
After failing to clinch a hat-trick of 2025 titles following wins in Adelaide and Montpellier earlier this season, a visibly dejected Auger-Aliassime was full of praise for his Greek rival: “It wasn’t to be for me, but congratulations to Stefanos; it’s well deserved. He played at a very high level tonight.
“This is my second time in Dubai, and I will definitely be back,” added the Canadian, who is expected to return to the world’s Top 20 players when new ATP rankings are released on Monday.
In the men’s doubles final, crowd favorites Yuki Bhambri of India and Australia’s Alexei Popyrin — a former ball kid at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship — edged out second seeds Harri Heliovaara of Croatia and Great Britain’s Henry Patten 3-6, 7-6, 10-8 in a marathon two-hour tussle on Centre Court.
Having lost the first set, Bhambri and Popyrin bravely battled back, defending four match points en route to winning a tense second set tiebreak before eventually sealing a super tiebreak win courtesy of a Popyrin ace on the pair’s fourth championship point.
“We were so close to losing in the first round, so it’s unbelievable to be in the final and win it — I don’t think I would ever have dreamt of this,” said Bhambri, before partner Popyrin added: “I’ve been coming to this tournament since I was a kid. I grew up in Dubai, played a lot of junior tournaments here, so it’s always good to come back, and to win a title whether in singles or doubles is always special. It’s been an unbelievable week.”
Australia or South Africa will return to Pakistan from Dubai for semifinal
- India and New Zealand’s Sunday group match to decide semifinal line-up
- Irrespective of outcome, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on Mar. 4
DUBAI: Australia and South Africa have been forced to travel to Dubai from Pakistan, the International Cricket Council confirmed Sunday, due to a tangled schedule at the Champions Trophy.
India and New Zealand play the final group match on Sunday in Dubai and the result of the game will decide the semifinal line-up.
Australia are in Dubai and will train in the afternoon, when South Africa are expected to fly in from Karachi where they hammered England to get top spot in Group B.
The winners of the India-New Zealand clash will play Australia, who finished second to South Africa in their group.
But irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on March 4 after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan for political reasons.
That will leave New Zealand and either Australia or South Africa, hours after landing in Dubai, to head back to Pakistan for the second semifinal scheduled on March 5 in Lahore.
Pundits and ex-cricketers had called out the one-venue “farce” at the 50-over tournament after India were allowed to play all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium.
The rest of the seven teams in the eight-nation competition had to shuttle between three Pakistan venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore — and the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips said his team were not thinking about India staying at one venue for the course of the tournament.
“No, for us there’s no focus on anything like that,” he said on Saturday.
“We have a ‘no-excuses’ mindset.”
The final on March 9 will be in Dubai if India go the distance.
Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will be the venue if India miss out.
Australia or South Africa will return to Pakistan from Dubai for semifinal
- Australia and South Africa have been forced to travel to Dubai from Pakistan, the International Cricket Council confirmed Sunday
DUBAI: Australia and South Africa have been forced to travel to Dubai from Pakistan, the International Cricket Council confirmed Sunday, due to a tangled schedule at the Champions Trophy.
India and New Zealand play the final group match on Sunday in Dubai and the result of the game will decide the semifinal line-up.
Australia are in Dubai and will train in the afternoon, when South Africa are expected to fly in from Karachi where they hammered England to get top spot in Group B.
The winners of the India-New Zealand clash will play Australia, who finished second to South Africa in their group.
But irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on March 4 after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan for political reasons.
That will leave New Zealand and either Australia or South Africa, hours after landing in Dubai, to head back to Pakistan for the second semifinal scheduled on March 5 in Lahore.
Pundits and ex-cricketers had called out the one-venue “farce” at the 50-over tournament after India were allowed to play all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium.
The rest of the seven teams in the eight-nation competition had to shuttle between three Pakistan venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore — and the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips said his team were not thinking about India staying at one venue for the course of the tournament.
“No, for us there’s no focus on anything like that,” he said on Saturday.
“We have a ‘no-excuses’ mindset.”
The final on March 9 will be in Dubai if India go the distance.
Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will be the venue if India miss out.
