The manager of the weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz said that the fuel incentive given to her as reward for winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal is good for two years only and not a lifetime supply.
In a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday, coach Noel Ferrer said when a petroleum company made the promise in 2021 following gold medal performance of Diaz at the Tokyo Olympics, the weightlifter will have a lifetime fuel supply from the company.
“Hidilyn told me she received fuel support for the first two years after her win. Thanks, but to be accurate, it wasn’t for a lifetime. I’m not sure whose lifetime the people had in mind,” Ferrer said on social media.
“Let’s also hope to give importance, not just to words or promises being said, but also valuing the athletes who gave honor to the country… Sadly, this is also symptomatic of how we regard athletes who are no longer in the limelight, even when they continue to contribute to sports and to the country. May these tough times bring out the best in us, and the honesty to match public pronouncements,” he added.
As the Middle East conflict was driving up the price of fuel, netizens reposted Ferrer’s statement as a form of support for Diaz, who is currently an instructor in the University of the Philippines.
