Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz wins $660,000 and a house


Steve Luckings
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Philippines weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz has been rewarded for winning her country's first-ever Olympic Games gold medal with a huge cash reward and a new house.

Diaz won the women’s 55-kilogram weightlifting competition in Tokyo on Monday, setting an Olympic record 127 kilograms in the clean and jerk event.

“History. Made,” the Olympics said on its Twitter account after 30-year-old Diaz

"It's unbelievable, it's a dream come true," Diaz, a silver medalist in the 2016 Rio Olympics, told AFP. "I want to say to the young generation in the Philippines, 'You can have this dream of gold too.':

Diaz's victory has earned her 33 million pesos ($660,000) in cash prizes from the government and several businessmen and a house and lot.

The Philippine Sports Commission guarantees a 10 million-peso incentive for every Olympic gold.

Diaz's medal was one of only 11 the Philippines has won since the country first took part in the Olympics in 1924.

The country's presidential representative, Harry Roque, said that Diaz has brought pride and glory to the Philippines.

"Congratulations, Hidilyn. The entire Filipino nation is proud of you," he said.

  • Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines celebrates after winning gold in the women's 55kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan.
    Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines celebrates after winning gold in the women's 55kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan.
  • Hidilyn Diaz won the first-ever Olympic gold for the Philippines.
    Hidilyn Diaz won the first-ever Olympic gold for the Philippines.
  • Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz stands on the podium for the victory ceremony of the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
    Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz stands on the podium for the victory ceremony of the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
  • Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines celebrates winning the women's 55kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
    Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines celebrates winning the women's 55kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
  • Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz stands on the podium for the victory ceremony.
    Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz stands on the podium for the victory ceremony.
  • Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz holds her medal on the podium.
    Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz holds her medal on the podium.
  • Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz reacts on the podium for the victory ceremony.
    Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz reacts on the podium for the victory ceremony.
  • Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines celebrates with Weightlifting Philippines federation president Monico Puntuevella after winning the gold medal.
    Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines celebrates with Weightlifting Philippines federation president Monico Puntuevella after winning the gold medal.
  • Hidilyn Diaz during her women's 55kg weightlifting event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
    Hidilyn Diaz during her women's 55kg weightlifting event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
  • Philippines' Hidilyn Diaz reacts after placing first in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
    Philippines' Hidilyn Diaz reacts after placing first in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
  • Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines reacts after winning gold.
    Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines reacts after winning gold.
  • Philippines' Hidilyn Diaz competes in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
    Philippines' Hidilyn Diaz competes in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition.
  • Hidilyn Diaz of Team Philippines competes during the women's 55kg event.
    Hidilyn Diaz of Team Philippines competes during the women's 55kg event.
  • Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines celebrates as she competes and sets new world record and won the gold medal in the women's 55kg weightlifting event.
    Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines celebrates as she competes and sets new world record and won the gold medal in the women's 55kg weightlifting event.
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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

While you're here

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Rating: 1/5

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
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Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

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Price: From Dh590,000

MATCH INFO

Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')

Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')

Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

SERIES SCHEDULE

First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6

Scoreline:

Barcelona 2

Suarez 85', Messi 86'

Atletico Madrid 0

Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
PRESIDENTS CUP

Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:

02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

While you're here
MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

Updated: July 27, 2021, 4:53 AM