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MANILA, June 4-- The 2016 Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz recently asked for financial support as she pursues the gold in Tokyo 2020. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said on Tuesday that the government "has been very supportive". On last Monday, Diaz posted a story on her social media Instagram, where she openly asked if it was okay to ask the public for private sponsorship for her training towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "I'm really having a hard time. I need financial support," Diaz wrote in the story. "I'm embarrassed about it but I'll try to be brave enough to do so for my dream of winning the country's first Olympic gold medal," she added. Indeed, the Philippines has not won an Olympic gold medal since the country attended the quadrennial multi-sport event in 1924. Diaz is the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic medal of any color. The 28-year-old weightlifter also snatched the gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games. Many concerned netizens reacted and expressed their support for Diaz, who has been busy training for the World Weightlifting Championships in September which will serve as a qualifier for Tokyo 2020. The championships to be held in Pattaya, Thailand will be her last Olympic qualifier this year, and a gold medal can significantly lift her ranking for Tokyo 2020. However, the PSC said Tuesday that the government has not been remiss in providing financial assistance to Diaz. | 
