May 9: Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz noticed live-streamed concerts were collecting money for coronavirus relief and was struck by inspiration: why not raise funds with an online workout?
Since then the Olympic silver-medallist -- and strong contender for her country's first Games gold -- has made enough money to buy food packs for hundreds of hard-hit families in the Philippines.
Diaz has done it all from Malaysia, where she was training to qualify for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics when much of the world locked down against the virus in March.
"I thought (distribution) would be impossible because I'm not physically present," Diaz, 29, told news agency.
"It's a good thing that I have trusted friends and trusted family members who understand why we need to do a fundraising."
That circle of supporters has handed out the packages, which include vegetables, eggs and rice, to more than 400 families.
The food was bought with donations from about 50 people who joined sessions that lasted up to three hours, and gave them a rare chance to train with an elite athlete.
Diaz rose to fame in 2016 after snagging a surprise silver in the 53 kilogramme category in Rio, becoming the Philippines' first female Olympic medallist and ending the nation's 20-year medal drought at the Games.
Two years later, she won gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia.
However, her quest to qualify for Tokyo is on hold ahead of the Games' rescheduled opening in July 2021.
"I thought all the hard work would soon be over... then it was extended," she said. "But I'm still thankful I can still continue with (the training) I need to do."
Still, the lockdown broke her daily training regimen, keeping her away from weights for 14 days for the first time in her career.
"I felt like I was losing my mind already. I've been carrying the barbell for 18 years and all of a sudden it's gone. Those were the kinds of anxiety that I felt," she said.
But she got access to some equipment, and with her coach's urging, got back to work. She was relieved to find her strength was still there.
Instead of a Tokyo berth, the past months have been about a different kind of accomplishment for Diaz: helping her countrymen get through the coronavirus crisis.
Rosemelyn Francisco's family in Zamboanga City, Diaz's home town, is one of the first to get help from the athlete's initiative, and is deeply grateful.
Her family was not wealthy to begin with, and the pandemic has cost her husband his construction job.
"The food she donated has all everything we need, including eggs," said Francisco, 27.
Hambantota,/Sri Lanka, July 13: South Africa has made upward movement in their International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings after their first series win in Sri Lanka. They had come into the series on the fifth position with 109 rating points, but are now ranked fourth with 111 rating points. Hashim Amla and Ryan McLaren too have moved up the rankings thanks to their great performance in the series, with Amla now ranked 2nd in ICC Player Rankings for Batsman and McLaren ranked 10th in ICC Player Rankings for Bowlers. South Africa won the series 2-1, registering a comfortable 82-run win in the third and final ODI of the series.
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