MELAKA – Exactly one year after winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Filipino weightlifter Hidliyn Diaz ended her single life when she married her coach from Guam, Julius Irvin T. Naranjo.
Her foster father Ahmad Janius Abdullah, who is also Malaysia Weightlifting Federation (PABM) deputy president, said Diaz got married on Tuesday in Baguio City, Manila.
“The date was chosen by the couple because it was exactly one year since Diaz made her own history by contributing the Philippines’ first gold medal at the Olympic Games.
“The ceremony was held behind closed doors at a highland resort in Baguio City but it was lively with close relatives and friends in attendance,” he said when contacted through the Whatsapp application.
Ahmad Janius, who also attended the ceremony, said the couple had been planning to start a family for a long time but Diaz chose July 26 because that was the sacred date when she won the Olympic gold medal.
“Even though Diaz is married, she said her husband is not stopping her from continuing her career and participating in tournaments after this,” he said.
Ahmad Janius added that the couple plan to hold a reception in Kampung Kesang Tua, Jasin this September.
In the meantime, Ahmad Janius explained that Diaz will go back to training with the help of her husband in preparation for the World Championships and the qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, in Colombia this December.
The weightlifting champion made the headlines in Tokyo when she revealed that she only trained in the car park belonging to Ahmad Janius in Kampung Kesang Tua, Jasin, Melaka for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Diaz underwent training there after being stranded in Malaysia since February 2020 when the country’s borders were closed to all outgoing and incoming flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She won the gold medal in the women’s 55 kg category. – Bernama, July 28, 2022
