Weightlifting champs get cash incentives
Four Zamboangueño weightlifters who won medals in the recently concluded Youth Asian Championship held in Dubai received cash incentives from the city government as a show of appreciation for their feats.
Mayor Celso Lobregat turned over the individual checks to gold medallists Maybelin Pablo and Hidilyn Diaz and bronze medallists Jeffrey Garcia and Nestor Colonia during simple rites held at the mayor’s office yesterday morning.
Pablo, Diaz, Garcia and Colonia are products of the city’s Summer Learn to Play program and have been successful participants in numerous national and international competitions the past years.
Pablo, who bagged 3 gold medals in the 69 kg category, received P60,000 cash incentive; Diaz, who harvested a gold and bronze medals in the 58 kg category, received P60,000 while Colonia, who hauled 3 bronze medals in the 56 kg category got P20,000 and Garcia, who bagged 3 bronze medals in the 50 kg category received P20,000 also.
The four Zamboangueño players were part of the Philippine delegation that participated in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship, held in Dubai from Dec. 17-22.
The four local weightlifters outshined their other fellow delegates by hauling the most number of medals in their individual categories.
Mayor Lobregat commended the four weightlifters and other Zamboangueño players who bagged medals in international competitions for bringing honor and fame to the city.
He called on the youths to emulate the examples shown by the international sports winners by constantly honing their talents and skills.
Meanwhile, Diaz in an interview, thanked Mayor Lobregat and the city government for the support being given to the sports sector saying it is a big boost to the athletes’ morale.
The importance given by the city government to the sports sector encourages athletes to further improve their skills, the gold medallist added.
The grant of cash incentives to winning athletes is based on a local ordinance and is facilitated through the office of the City Sports Division under Bernardito Patino. (Sheila Covarrubias)