TOKYO Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo achieved another milestone in her storied career at the 88th IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia, in early December.
After failing to capture gold in her five previous appearances in the world championships, Diaz-Naranjo, no longer a spring chicken at 31, hoisted herself and the country to a golden treble by sweeping the women’s 55 kgs class at the Gran Carpa Americas Corferias Convention Center in the Colombian capital.
In an early Christmas gift, the Zamboanga City pride ruled the weight division with a lift of 93 kgs in the snatch and 114 kgs in the clean-and-jerk for a total lift of 207 kgs in her breakthrough at the worlds that also served as the first qualifying meet for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
It was Diaz-Naranjo’s last competition in the 55 kgs class, which was dropped from the Paris program in favor of the 59 kgs category.
In collegiate action, Ateneo regained the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball championship by dethroning University of the Philippines, 75-68, in a winner-take-all Game 3 played before 21,814 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Naturalized player Ange Kouame was named Finals MVP.
In the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Letran made history by winning its third straight seniors basketball title by blowing away College of St. Benilde, 81-67, in the do-or-die Game 3 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
King Caralipio was the Finals MVP as he helped the Knights duplicate the “three-peat” pulled off by a Samboy Lim-led Letran team from 1982-84.
Behind the heroic of power-hitting American import Lindsey Van Derweide, the underdog Petro Gazz Angels captured the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced crown via a sweep of Cignal HD Spikers in their best-of-3 title playoffs.
The chargers of coach Raid Ricafort took Game 1 in straight sets 25-21, 27-25, 37-36, then clinched their second PVL championship in subduing the wards of coach Shaq delos Santos in four hard-fought sets 25-17, 22-25, 12-25, 25-21 in Game 2 in front of a lively crowd at the PhilSports Arena.
Van Derweide bagged both MVP Finals and Best Foreign Guest Player honors, while teammate Mar-Jana Philips was cited as Best Middle Blocker of the tournament.
Still in volleyball, the National University Bulldogs took down the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Spikers 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 in the championship match to capture the V-League Collegiate Men’s title at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards sustained their winning ways under coach Jerson Cabiltes, securing the Season 4 title of the Maharlika Basketball League by beating the Zamboanga Family Brand Sardines, 69-65, in Game 4 of their best-of-five title series at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.
Byron Villarias paced the Vanguards with 14 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, sweeping both Best Player of the Game and Most Valuable Player Finals honors, as they bagged their fifth straight crown under Cabiltes.
Back in the limelight was ring icon Manny Pacquiao, who figured in a goodwill exhibition match for a cause with South Korean mixed martial arts fighter DK Woo at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Seoul.
In a battle between two 41-year-old southpaws, Pacquiao, still exuding his popular appeal, showed flashes of his vintage form in playing around with his South Korean rival on the way to an expected unanimous decision victory.
Youth sports also made its mark again with the return of the hybrid Batang Pinoy National Championships held online and face-to-face in Ilocos Sur.
It was the last project under former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala, who was replaced by former pro player and Alaska team manager Richard ‘Dickie’ Bachmann, who received his appointment papers from Malacanang on December 23.
Also joining him on the PSC board were newly-appointed commissioners Edward Hayco, a former Cebu City Sports Commission chairman, and former national fencer and Philippine Paralympic Committee secretary general Walter Torres.