Mona Sulaiman
Mona Sulaiman was a Filipina sprinter who competed at the Asian Games and the Summer Olympics.
Early life
Mona Sulaiman was born in a barrio in Cotabato on June 9, 1942 to Kudelat and Aminan Sulaiman, who were Muslims.Career
Sulaiman started her career competing in regional meets. She competed at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta where she won gold medals in the 100 and 200 metre sprints and relay events. She also garnered a bronze medal in the shot put event at the same tournament.She competed at the Summer Olympics in the 100 metres event at the 1960 and the 1964 editions.
Sulaiman also excelled in the disciplines of pentathlon and discus throw.
When sex testing began being introduced in the late 1960s, Sulaiman was reportedly wary and pulled out of the 1966 Asian Games instead of taking it. A medal hopeful, her absence from the Games was lamented. She had traveled to the Asian Games with the Philippines delegation, but her refusal to take the test was reported on by media at home in Manila, leading to more attention. Philippines officials responded to this by announcing that Sulaiman would be banned from athletics.
Later life and death
After retiring from competitive play, Solaiman worked in the private sector until the 1990s when she was hired by the Philippine Sports Commission to serve as a consultant for the national athletics team.Sulaiman was inducted into the PSC Hall of Fame in January 2016. Around this time, Solaiman's health has declined due to various health conditions including diabetes. She now uses a wheelchair by this time.
She died in Manila on 21 December 2017. She was 75.
Legacy
Solaiman and bowler Bong Coo share the Asian Games record for the most gold medals won by a Filipino athlete - male or female - in a single edition. In the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, she won three gold medals.Solaiman was among the second group of Filipino sports legends inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame on January 25, 2016 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.