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Hidilyn Diaz bats for financial literacy among athletes

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz has received 90% of the incentives promised to her after her triumph in the Tokyo Games. File photo. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/advertorial/02/10/20220209_hidilyn.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo source: BDO Unibank</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- Drawing from her own experiences, Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz is stressing the importance of financial literacy among athletes.</p><p>&quot;Marami na po akong narinig at nakita na atleta, after ng career nila, wala na. Wala na silang pupuntahan, wala silang ipon dahil hindi sila nag-ipon at hindi nila alam kung paano mag-ipon, at inuna nila ang wants nila vs. needs,&quot; the 30-year-old Diaz recalled in a press conference Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;Siyempre, nakakalungkot na ganoon ang nangyari sa kanila at ayokong mangyari &#x27;yun sa akin at sa mga kasama kong atleta na susunod sa akin,&quot; she added. </p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m hoping na matuto tayo. Matuto tayo sa mga pagkakamali natin at pagkakamali ng mga kasama natin.&quot;</p><p>Diaz is not a stranger to making financial mistakes. She admits that she has been &quot;scammed&quot; before, and also revealed that she did not make a profit after setting up a weightlifting gym in her hometown after the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.</p><p>The Filipina weightlifter made history for the Philippines in Rio when she won a silver medal, ending the country&#x27;s 20-year-medal drought in the Summer Games. The prize money she received went towards a gym that was opened in August 2017.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/08/16/diaz-plans-to-build-weight-lifting-gym-with-olympic-prize-money">READ: Diaz plans to build weight-lifting gym with Olympic prize money</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/26/18/asian-games-champ-hidilyn-diaz-fulfills-weightlifting-gym-promise-in-hometown">READ: Hidilyn Diaz fulfills weightlifting gym promise in hometown</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Wala po akong profit doon,&quot; Diaz said. &quot;So sabi ko, noong nag-aral po ako ng business management, doon ko nasabi na oo nga, mali &#x27;yung ginawa ko… Wala siyang kahit ROI (return on investment) or breakeven man lang, di ba? Wala talaga.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So sabi ko mali &#x27;yun. Mali &#x27;yung ginawa ko. Although maganda &#x27;yung intention ko at masaya po ako sa ginawa ko kasi nga, &#x27;yun &#x27;yung naging motivation ko before Olympics eh, &#x27;yung mga bata. Sabi ko magpapatayo ako ng gym,&quot; she added.</p><p>&quot;Kaya lang siguro mali lang &#x27;yung ginawa ko kasi lahat binigay ko. Lahat na binili ko at hindi &#x27;yun tama. Dapat may percentage po dapat. &#x27;Yun &#x27;yung dapat kong matutunan, at mag-ipon ipon din.&quot;</p><p>Diaz said she has since become smarter with her money -- a crucial development, especially after her triumph in the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, where she became the first Filipino athlete to win a gold medal.</p><p>Incentives flooded in for Diaz, amounting to over P30 million. She also received a condominium unit and two houses. According to Diaz, she has received around 90% of the incentives promised to her.</p><p>&quot;Thank you you po sa lahat. Sa totoo lang hindi ko &#x27;yun inexpect, kasi nga ginagawa ko ang sport na ito dahil sa pagmamahal,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/27/21/tokyoolympics-hidilyn-diaz-incentives">READ: Hidilyn Diaz set to receive at least P33-M after winning Olympic gold</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/11/21/hidilyn-diaz-vows-to-spend-wisely-after-windfall">READ: Hidilyn Diaz vows to be wiser in her spending after windfall</a></li></ul><p>A bulk of the money she received has been saved and invested, and now Diaz is partnering with <a href="https://www.bdo.com.ph/personal/remittance-services/bdo-kabayan-savings">BDO Unibank</a> to raise awareness about financial education among her fellow athletes. After all, it was not only Diaz who received incentives after the Tokyo Games -- silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and bronze medalist Eumir Marcial were also rewarded for their achievements.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/23/21/filipino-olympians-receive-government-incentives">READ: Filipino Olympians receive incentives from government</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Para sa akin, mag-ipon tayo kasi hindi tayo forever na atleta. Swerte na lang magtagal tayo,&quot; Diaz said. &quot;&#x27;Di ba may kasabihan na nasa huli ang pagsisisi, pero huwag tayong ganoon.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So mas okay na ‘yung may nagsasabi na ito po &#x27;yung right way, so ito po ang advocacy ko, na i-increase ang awareness sa financial education. Pwede tayong matuto,&quot; she added.</p><p>Aside from being wise with their money, athletes should also be wise with their time, said Diaz.</p><p>When asked about her worst investment, Diaz talked not of finances but her time commitment, saying: &quot;Worst investment as an athlete… Siguro, to stay sa taong hindi same as your goal.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Doon, para &#x27;yun sa akin, worst investment as an athlete kasi nasayang ang oras mo,&quot; she explained. &quot;Hindi ka matagal sa pagiging atleta, hindi ka diyan pag-50 years old, so huwag mo sayangin ang oras mo sa taong hindi naniniwala sa&#x27;yo. Surround yourself with the people na tutulong sa &#x27;yo.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1735611" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Drawing from her own experiences, Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz is stressing the importance of financial literacy among athletes.

Hidilyn Diaz bats for financial literacy among athletes

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Hidilyn Diaz bats for financial literacy among athletes

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 28, 2021 12:49 PM PHT

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Updated February 10, 2022 08:53 AM PHT

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Hidilyn Diaz

weightlifting

Tokyo Olympics

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