Phl skaters strike gold on ice
Still fresh from victory, the Philippine ice hockey team that bagged the gold in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games is looking for ways to stay hot on ice.
“The thing is even if there’s no major tournaments you need to prep the boys,” said Federation of Ice Hockey Philippines president Chris Sy.
The Filipino ice hockey players were crowned kings in Malaysia after impressive wins over Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
It was the first time ice hockey was played in the SEA Games, and Sy said it was not easy.
“For it to be played in the SEA Games we needed five countries that are members of the International Ice Hockey Federation,” said Sy at the SM Megamall skating rink.
Members of the ice hockey team were toasted yesterday as well as men’s figure skating silver medalist Michael Christian Martinez.
“We’re really very happy with this team,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez, a guest of honor in yesterday’s event graced by SM Lifestyle, Inc. president Edgar Tejerero and Philippine Skating Union chief Pocholo Veguillas.
Coached by Daniel Brodan, the team is composed of Benjamin Imperial, Carl Montano, Daniel Pastrana, Francois Gautier, Javier Cadiz, Gianpietro Iseppi, Jan Aro Regencia, Steven Fuglister, Georgino Orda, Jorell Crisostomo, Jose Inigo Cadiz, Joshua Carino, Julius Santiago, Lenard Rigel II Lancero, Miguel Alfonso Relampagos, Miguel Serrano, Paolo Spafford, Patrick Syquiatco, Paul Sanchez and Carlo Tenedero.
“This all started with the dream of Mr. Henry Sy to build an ice skating rink in the Philippines. And today we celebrate,” said Tejerero.
“Rest asured that SM will always be there to support you,” he told members of the ice hockey team.
Sy narrated the diffculties the team went through in Kuala Lumpur, on and off the rink, then started looking forward, baring the immediate plans for the team.
He said he wasn’t sure yet if ice hockey will be part of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
“But in April next year we will be hosting the Challenge Cup Asia and we expect six to eight countries to participate. It’s just one of the segments of the Challenge Cup that we will host,” he said.
For the younger batch of players, there’s the SEA Youth in Malaysia later this month and the Under-20 Championships also in Malaysia in December.
“For our men’s team hopefully we are looking at a major tournament in Europe next year,” said Sy, citing the countless contributions of Hans Sy of the SM Group for the victory.
“Before we left, I was asked, and I said that we will bring home a medal, at least a bronze,” said the man overseeing ice hockey in the country.
And they struck gold.