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Post by cjeagle on Aug 4, 2017 5:20:05 GMT 8
Some belated national team news: Philippines wins 3rd in Asian Winter Games ice hockey THE Philippines men's national ice hockey team received praises after salvaging the men's division 2 bronze medal on Sunday, February 26 at the close of the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games ice hockey competition at the Hoshioki Ice Skating Rink in Sapporo, Japan. Group A second placer Philippines routed Group B runner-up Macau, China, 9-2, in their battle for third even as Group B leader Turkmenistan crushed Kyrgyzstan, 7-3, in the championship match. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez said, "Mabuhay ang Philippine ice hockey team," in replying to PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez's Facebook post. Fernandez lauded the team for winning the bronze in its debut in the Asian Winter Games. "We are the only tropical country that won a medal," Fernandez said. Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) national deputy training director and grassroots development chief Henry Daut also cited the team, saluting the athletes, coaches and staff for their feat. Judo official Lori Mendoza also congratulated the team, asking that should the country also look forward for the team to compete in the Winter Olympics. Other sports enthusiasts and netizens also praised the team, posting cheers and congratulations. The Filipinos lost their first match to Kyrgyzstan, 5-10, but bounced back by eking out rousing victories over Qatar, 14-2, and Indian Olympic Association, 8-3, to arrange a bronze medal match with Macau that also posted two wins and one loss. The Philippines men's national squad was a selection of players from Islanders, Manila Sharps, Omni Hockey, Manila Griffins and Cricket Lighters. Jed Benedict Reyes, Paolo Spafford, Gianpietro Iseppi, Patrick Russell Sy Quiatco, Jose Inigo Anton Cadiz, Carlo Miguel Garrucho, Francois Emmanuel Gautier, Julius Frederick Santiago, Hector Pierre Navasero, Lenard RigelLancero II, Allison Lapiz, Carl Michael Montano, Philip Cheng, Javier Alfonso Cadiz, John Steven Fuglister, Miguel Alfonso Relampagos, Julian Frederick Santiago, Miguel Serrano, GeorginoOrda, Michael Johnson Wang and Benjamin Jorge Imperial bannered the team with Daniel Brodan as head coach, Adam Richtar as assitant coach and Gaelen Hallenbeck as equipment manager. Read more: www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/sports/2017/02/26/philippines-wins-3rd-asian-winter-games-ice-hockey-528023Follow us: @sunstaronline on Twitter | SunStar Philippines on Facebook This is Division 2 guys, not Division 1. Div 2 consists of neophyte Asian ice hockey teams. Nevertheless this is the first ever medal in official IHF recognized Asian ice hockey competition in the senior level for the Philippines. Congrats on a job well done guys.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 4, 2017 5:42:44 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 4, 2017 6:52:07 GMT 8
The women also participated in their first international tournament recently: The Philippines’ National Women’s Hockey Team Attends First IIHF Competition A group of women from the Philippines made history this past week, becoming the country’s first national women’s ice hockey team to compete in a IIHF competition. From March 7 to 15, the Philippines competed in the 2017 IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia, a competition for Asian countries that do not compete in, or compete in the lowest level of, the IIHF World Championships. The Philippines’ women’s team was formed in 2014, and until now, competed with a team of 10 to 12 girls in non-IIHF tournaments. However, since the Philippines joined the IIHF in May 2016, these women now have the chance to officially compete as a national team in international competitions. “Now we have a 19 women team and I believed we’ve prepared well for this tournament,” said Captain Danielle Imperial. “We have a handful of really experienced players, a few old players we were able to get back on the ice, a lot of new ones who’ve trained hard since they started. We’ve trained all together for five months or so and I’m confident in saying we’ve made huge progress.” While the Philippines opened up the tournament with a tough 21-1 loss to Thailand followed by two more losses to Singapore (6-2) and India (4-3), they quickly rebounded, claiming their first ever IIHF win, a 3-1 victory over Malaysia. The Philippines suffered one more loss (8-0) against New Zealand’s U18 team (the eventual tournament winners) before claiming their second win of the tournament, a 3-2 victory against the United Arab Emirates. Forward Bianca Cuevas led the team throughout the tournament with five goals and nine points, followed by forward Kayla Herbolario, who had two goals and five points. The team is currently coached by Steven Füglister, who grew up in Switzerland and played for EHC Bülach and EHC Winterthur in the Swiss Div 1 league. Füglister moved to the Philippines four years ago, and along with coaching the women’s team, also captains the men’s national team. “We have a group of very dedicated and hard working hockey enthusiasts,” said Füglister. “As a team we’re overall well-balanced andour greatest strength is a good team effort. We have two to three players that have the potential to decide games by themselves skill wise.” The girls on the team took various different paths to get to where they are today. Assistant captain Christel Mamaril started by playing inline hockey. “I was in college and I wanted to do something worthwhile aside from hanging out with my friends and studying. I saw that there was an inline hockey club in our university (DLSU Hockey Club), so I decided to join.” Bianca Cuevas, also an assistant captain, started figure skating at six years old, something she picked up after trying it out at a mall’s skating rink. Her brother played hockey, and Cuevas developed interest in the sport from watching her brother play. “I tried it and I instantly fell in love with it,” said Cuevas. “I continued figure skating at the same time I was playing hockey. Eventually, when I was 12 years old, I didn’t enjoy figure skating anymore so I decided to stop and only continue to play hockey.” Imperial was introduced to hockey when her cousins, who had moved back to the Philippines after living in California, showed her and her brother the Mighty Ducks movies. “That started it all,” explained Imperial. “Our garage became our little roller rink and when we got bigger, our driveway. Next thing we knew we were on the ice.” Imperial later tagged along with her brother when he was recruited by a coach who needed more players for a tournament. Imperial eventually joined a team in a local men’s league with her brother. The team is coached by Carl Montano, who grew up in Vancouver. Imperial has bonded with her brother and made lifelong friends through playing on the team, all of which has just continued to grow her love for the game. “From on-ice training, off-ice sessions, midnight snacks after training with the team, traveling for tournaments, etc … we kept falling in love with a game that we were already passionate about. On the ice sometimes I still think to myself how crazy it is to be where I am now.” Ice hockey is not a popular sport in the Philippines, but what has continued to drive the growth of the sport in the country is the community of players and coaches. “I love the hockey community,” said Mamaril. “Your teammates become your best friends. Up until now, my closest friends are the ones I met playing hockey.” “It’s a small tight knit community. We are very supportive of each other. We all have on goal - to promote hockey in the Philippines.” When Imperial started playing, coaches struggled to get enough players together to rent ice time. Eventually Hockey Philippines and the local league in Manila that Imperial plays for (and where other young players and several expats play) were formed. While they used to struggle to get 10 players out for practices, now coaches hold ice times for players of different skill levels and ages and have at least 20 players show up. “Hockey out here in the Philippines has been taking a lot of big strides in the past three years and I think it has still yet to reach a stable, organized and developed state where the progress can continue smoothly,” said Imperial. “Right now we’re just starting out and getting organized with the Federation. There are a lot of obstacles, yes, but things are going great so far. Things are falling in place and right now, with the opportunities to compete, especially in IIHF tournaments, we see what all the work and progress has built up to. All these things just keep us going.” If hockey, in particular women’s hockey, is going to continue to grow in the Philippines, there are several things that are going to need to happen. The first is public attention. “With the Philippines being a tropical country, it is unusual to be playing winter sports,” explained Cuevas. “Whenever I tell people I play hockey, they react so surprised and always ask where, when, how and why. Although I’ve been playing for about eight years now, hockey in the Philippines is still quite unpopular.” Both the men’s and women’s national teams are starting to get recognition online and on TV and radio, but more can still be done. Some of the other barriers are that there are a limited number of rinks (that can be hard to get to) and that if players want to buy gear they have to order it online from North America. Imperial, Mamaril, and Cuevas all recognize that to continue to grow the game of hockey in their country, they will need to actively work to recruit more female players. This includes recruiting younger girls and finding financial support for those who cannot commit because of cost. However, despite these barriers, the passion these women have for hockey is contagious. With their dedication to and love for the sport, competing in the 2017 IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia is just the tip of the iceberg. womenshockeylife.com/blogs_view_dsp.cfm?BlogId=2126&CatId=9
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 4, 2017 18:53:26 GMT 8
Detailed article on the setting of the official ice hockey fed and growth of Ice hockey in the Philippines: www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=10964&cHash=0767c2ebfdadde4d8d2b839f29f95b5bA cooling trend Philippines hockey reaches milestone, builds for future 28.07.2016 MANILA – For a country that is best known for its tropical islands and virtually untouched by winter, playing ice hockey seems to be limited to video games. However, with four rinks in the country and recent admission as a new associate member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the Philippines is destined to add another chapter to what many believed was Mission Impossible. The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia consisting of over 7,000 islands and with a population of 105 million people. Ice is locally best known to put on cones or to refresh drinks with but not to skate on. Nevertheless there are 211 players from five clubs registered in the Philippines where four ice rinks can be used, the main one being the SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink in Pasay City next to the capital of Manila. The other ice rinks are at Megamall, Southmall and the Seaside Cebu Ice Skating Rink. IIHF.com’s Joeri Loonen learned more about the past and future of ice hockey in the country and talked with Tournament Director Francois Gautier and training and development manager Carl Montano. “Originally I only came back for vacation to attend my mom’s wedding,” Montano, a Surrey, British Columbia native, explains. “I learned that my niece was playing ice hockey here so I came here to train along to be in shape for the playoffs back home in Canada. Not long after they asked me to stay and offered me the position of head coach. With being involved in hockey always having been a dream of me, I decided to accept the offer and jump right into it. Within three weeks I was back and have only visited Canada for holidays since.” Gautier was born and raised in the Philippines and started playing on one of the few indoor rinks. “It was really unorganized at the time. I was not wearing a visor, mouth and neck guard playing against guys that could barely skate,” he remembers. After finishing his studies in France his appetite for the game hadn’t gone lost but he learned not much had changed in Manila and decided to help out organizing things himself. “I noticed a lot of people were demanding a lot but did not want to move a finger. I stepped in and moved more than a finger and here we are now, doing all the organizational and managerial tasks and managing tournaments for the Philippines Ice Hockey Federation.” With no neighbouring country big in the sport, the Philippines had developed its own style of hockey. It took Montano a while to get used to how hockey was being played and he slowly started to make adjustments. “Typically they play more offensively than defensively here. Before I arrived, all coaches were only focused on scoring goals so there were hardly any defencemen on the team. I’ve been trying to introduce a more North-American style play of hockey, building from the back out,” explains Montano. “My teams slowly but surely bought into the concept especially when results started to follow. Now we are no longer the team everybody wanted to play because of a sure victory but they are afraid to play us because we can compete.” Back in those days there was no organized leagues yet. The teams played pickup games and were primarily formed out of expats. The Philippines did participate in regional invitational tournaments but rather than being an official national team it was an exclusive selection of club players. Things started in 2008. “We noted the pickup games were gaining more attention and people were fighting for spots. With that increase we felt with some better organization we could start up a formal ice hockey league and federation,” Montano remembers. With a federation (FIHL) in place, the focus on establishing a true national team also became more viable. Gautier found out that it wasn’t as easy as just selecting the best players. “To actually call it a national team, you need to have everyone involved and look at every player available. So having a federation that unites every group was a very big step,” says Gautier, who also had to deal with resistance. “There’s always people that are all talk and no action and there were hidden agendas and money matters that we had to cope with, but you are never going to make everyone happy. There will always be people that think they can do a better job.” Receiving IIHF membership is considered a major milestone. Alongside this recognition the federation also received membership of the Philippines Olympic Committee and as such the national team can apply to participate in official international tournaments like the Challenge Cup of Asia and the Southeast Asian Games. “Exciting times are ahead of us and it was certainly worth the ride. This will give us the opportunity to gain exposure locally and internationally which is something we are really in need for,” Gautier explains. “The way things work here In the Philippines is pretty simple: When you’re known, you’re going to get help, when you’re not known... good luck. Then you can be knocking on all the doors but they probably turn out to be walls for you.” And help is needed. Even though the sport’s is gaining popularity, ice hockey remains a very expensive sport in a country where the average income is around $300 a month. On average, players practice twice a week at a cost of $20 to cover for the ice rent. That prorates to over a $1000 annually which is still excluding the costs of transportation, gear and costs for participating in international tournaments in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. With the national ice skating union mainly focusing on figure skating, a sport the Philippines has a local hero in Michael Christian Martinez, who has made his way to the most recent Olympic Winter Games, Montano and Gautier are looking for other means to reduce the cost of playing. FIHL president Christopher Sy is trying to reach out to his connections within other corporations and is now noticing that with the international recognition, the federation is being taken more serious. “Furthermore we are looking to open up international contacts, for example to get gear from abroad. We have had talks with the Canadian ambassador here to see if he can help out with someone who can help us provide hockey gear,” reveals Montano. “Other ideas exist as well,” Gautier adds in. “We would like to organize a hockey day. If we can get sponsors to cover for a full day of ice rent, we could organize clinics and free access to the sport for free; whether rich or poor. We can provide them with some sticks and helmets and introduce them to the sport and teach them some basics.” The national team players, although far from having reached domestic celebrity status, would be available for a meet-and-greet in order for the kids to team up with a real ice hockey player. One thing that would draw national attention surely would be the presence of a real NHL player, especially when of Filipino descent. “People here are very America-oriented in sports. However if we could get Matt Dumba here to provide a few clinics that could be a game breaker for ice hockey in the Philippines,” Montano aspires. Currently a player of the Minnesota Wild, Dumba is the only player with Filipino roots that has made it to the NHL and could serve as the ideal role model for Philippine kids who are interested in playing ice hockey. Montano and Gautier are noticing that the domestic interest in the game is growing. “Ever since the news broke out that we were admitted to the IIHF, a lot of people start signing up. In the past it was hard to get people to practice now it’s hard to get them off the ice,” Gauthier jokes. “We now have provided the kids something to look forward to. Instead of playing invitational tournaments only, we are now able to send a Team Philippines to the SEA games in Malaysia next year for the first time in history,” knows Montano. “In 2019 the SEA games will be here in the Philippines and our kids would love to be part of that. If we can do a good job in Malaysia, we will provide great exposure for 2019. We can compete against anyone in that competition so gold is within reach.” Rather than to scour the globe for players with a Philippine passport, the FIHL is aiming to build from within. “There is great belief in the players that brought IIHF membership to our country. They went through the hard part and it would be discouraging and disheartening if we’d now suddenly replace them with guys from abroad,” believes Montano. Gautier nods in agreement. With limited funds available, the goals are clearly long term. “We are focusing on youth and development. We don’t have an established top to bottom supply of players, so we need to start getting more kids playing hockey in order to build a strong core of players that can play at the senior international level in the future,” says Gautier. It required a lot of persistence and hurdles to overcome in the last decade to get where Philippines ice hockey is today. The work is not done yet though. Gautier: “We want the kids something to drive for. Having the opportunity to represent the country and hit the ice with the national flag on their jersey is a huge but now realistic goal to achieve.” The next couple of years are not just about getting results and winning medals and trophies. The targets are far beyond that. “Perhaps if the opportunity is there, one or two import players will be added, but the idea is to keep it as home-grown as possible. We are not working for the next two to five years but want to sustain the sport for years to come here in the Philippines.”
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 6, 2017 7:24:21 GMT 8
Pinoys gun for gold in ice hockey The forecast is it will be either gold or silver for the Philippine ice hockey team at the SEA Games in Malaysia on Aug. 19-30 with goaltender Gianpietro Iseppi pointing out that the third place finish in Division II at the recent Asian Winter Games is an indication of a likely podium finish. Ice hockey will make its debut at the SEA Games with five countries participating in the men’s division. Figure skating and short track speed skating are the other winter sports to be introduced in Malaysia. Venue for the ice events is the Empire City rink in Selangor. The Philippines opens its ice hockey campaign against Indonesia on Aug. 21 then plays Singapore on Aug. 22, Malaysia on Aug. 23 and Thailand on Aug. 24. “We’re very confident,” said Iseppi, a Filipino-Swiss Italian who is vice president of hotel operations at Solaire Resort and Casino. “We’ve been practicing as a team since March and our (Czech) coach Dan (Brodan) is a no-nonsense guy who’s very focused. To prepare for Malaysia, we played in two local competitions and one in Hong Kong. Most of us have been together with the national team over the last two years so we’re high on chemistry. We got a huge confidence boost with our performance at the Asian Winter Games and we’ll take that positive experience to Malaysia.” At the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, the Philippines lost its first game to Kyrgyzstan, 10-5, then won three in a row over Qatar, 14-2, Kuwait, 8-3 and Macau, 9-2 to claim third spot in Division II, 13th overall among 18 teams. SEA Games rivals Thailand and Singapore played in Division I with the Thais registering a 4-1 record for fifth overall and the Singaporeans posting a 0-5 mark for 10th overall. Two other SEA Games opponents Malaysia and Indonesia were in a different bracket in Division II. Malaysia wound up 15th and Indonesia, 18th. Although the Philippines took third in Division II, it didn’t count in the medal standings as only the four teams in the elite division were in contention for a podium landing. At the SEA Games, it will be another story. Of the 20 players listed in the SEA Games roster, 14 saw action in Sapporo, led by captain Steve Fuglister and alternate captain Carl Montano. “Steve leads by example,” said Iseppi. “He’s our energy guy, our high scorer with the most assists and goals. Carl’s been playing in the Manila league for at least six years so he’s the guy whom our rookies look up to because he helped to develop their game. Our other goaltender is my nephew Paolo Spafford. I reached out to Pao when I got the job in Solaire and he hooked me up with the hockey guys here.” The squad, which is supported by the SM Group, has an average age of 24.8 years with Jan Regencia the youngest at 16. There are four other teeners – Joshua Carino, Miguel Serrano and Jorell Crisostomo, all 17 and Benjamin Imperial, 18. Seven are at least 30. Iseppi said as the team’s senior statesman, he’s grateful for the chance to represent the country. “It’s an honor and a blessing to play for the Philippines,” he said. “I hope to play as long as my body can take it. Under international federation rules, a national team may enlist a foreigner if he has a passport of the country he’s representing and he’s lived in that country for at least three consecutive years. With our team, every player has Filipino blood. In my case, my mother is Filipina and I was born in Singapore but grew up in Paranaque. I went to a hotel school in Switzerland and worked at The Venetian in Las Vegas before moving to The Venetian in Macau, The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and finally, to Manila.” Iseppi said his goal is to go all out for the gold. “We’re Filipinos,” he said. “We’re going to Malaysia to win, play our best, enjoy the experience and show the world that we Filipinos can play this game, too. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get either the silver or gold. I think Thailand will be our toughest competitor for the championship.” After the SEA Games, Iseppi will get ready for his Sept. 23 wedding with his American fiancée Katiana in Lake Como, Italy. Iseppi said he fell in love with ice hockey at 12. “I started playing competitively in high school at 16,” he said. “At 18, I was playing club-level tournaments in Switzerland. My idols are Martin Brodeur (who won two Winter Olympic gold medals with Canada and played in 23 National Hockey League seasons) and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Belfour (a 17-year NHL veteran). I try to be aggressive in protecting the goal like Belfour and emulate his style.” www.philstar.com/sports/2017/08/06/1725732/pinoys-gun-gold-ice-hockey
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 13, 2017 12:26:26 GMT 8
Philippine ‘Mighty Ducks’ sets out to shock in SEA Games battles There shouldn’t be much to expect from a squad formed just a couple of years ago. But the Philippine men’s ice hockey team thinks it’s out to surprise in the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur this month. “I like our chances,” says national team captain Steven Füglister. “We’ve been training consistently as a team. I think other countries don’t have the luxury of having the ice times that we have. So that kind of worked for us. We have a great team spirit; we’re all excited.” Almost all of the players are homegrown, plucked out of club teams, which back then, pretty much got borne out of “The Mighty Ducks,” the ’90s American hit comedy film about a ragtag ice hockey team. “Ice hockey has been in the Philippines for 20 years, since they built the first rink,” says Füglister. “It’s also around that time when the famous ‘Mighty Ducks’ movie came out from Disney. So if I ask most Filipinos why they even started playing ice hockey, everyone says that.” Perhaps, the affinity for the film is still there. And there’s no harm hoping that the underdogs will also turn champions in the SEA Games. The Philippines won a bronze in Division 2 of men’s ice hockey in the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, last February. It’s a notable feat, but clearly positioned ahead of them are Singapore and Thailand which saw action in Division 1. But there’s no discouraging the squad. “There’s the combination of physicality and also grace in skating,” says Füglister, then adds with a laugh, “They call it like ballet on ice with a bit of murder thrown in. Füglister, a 31-year-old Filipino-Swiss, used to play in a semi-pro league in Switzerland. But most of his teammates learned the game at SM mall rinks. “Unlike what many people think, we’re not a Fil-Am or Fil-Canadian team,” the 6-foot forward says. “It’s a Filipino team. We’re only three guys who are half-Filipinos, but we’ve lived here for a while. So it’s not like we fly in foreigners to play, then leave again.” Come game time, though, it will be the right mix of strength and skills that will matter. “I like the mix—we have experienced guys, we have young guys, we have enthusiastic guys but we all pull in the same direction,” says Füglister. “As a team, we have a vision we want to achieve and everyone believes in that, which makes it easy to build a very good team spirit.” sports.inquirer.net/260289/philippine-mighty-ducks-sets-shock-sea-games-battles
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 19, 2017 8:59:19 GMT 8
Philippine 'Mighty Ducks' skate for gold and history at the SEA Games The Philippine hockey team is a newcomer to the world stage, but they already believe they're a 'big threat' at the Southeast Asian Games A shopping mall in tropical Manila closes for the night but a once ragtag team of skaters is hitting the rink aiming to make history in the Southeast Asian Games. Dubbed "The Mighty Ducks" after the 1992 Disney film, the Philippine men's ice hockey team are targeting gold in Malaysia where the SEA Games begin on Saturday - a far cry from the days when their players knew only of the sport from watching movies. "'The Mighty Ducks' has been an inspiration to most hockey players, especially if you're in a tropical country like the Philippines," team forward Lenard Lancero, 22, told AFP by the rink in the mall where the team practice. "You've only been watching hockey, seeing it just in the movies. But when there was ice hockey here in (the mall), it's like a dream come true." In a nation known for its pristine beaches and obsession with basketball, ice hockey has only recently emerged as an unlikely but increasingly popular sport. What started as a hobby for boys who would ask their parents to take them to rinks in the country's sprawling shopping centers slowly turned into a competitive sport with the creation of a national federation two years ago. Teenage students and professionals in their thirties all represent their country, and they bagged a bronze medal in their first official tournament at the Asian Winter Games in Japan in February. Despite their achievements, the squad still get strange looks from surprised shoppers as they haul their gear to the rink, said defenseman Julius Santiago, 21. "But when they see us play, they're really amazed. They like watching it because it's intense, especially when there's full contact. And Filipinos love fighting, the hitting, so that's what excites them to watch us play," he said. 'Baby steps’ This year marks the first time winter sports have featured in the SEA Games. French-Filipino Francois Gautier, the team's alternate captain, said practicing in the Philippines was much tougher than in France, Canada or the United States which have thousands of skating rinks as opposed to the Asian nation's four. "It's more organized there for sure. The level is higher. Here, we're doing the baby steps," Gautier, 33, told AFP. Funding is another challenge, with sticks, helmets, shin pads, elbow pads and gloves costing at least $1,000 a set. The group gets by with contributions from corporations, the government and their own pockets. Team members divide time between school or work and training as well as cutting through Manila's notorious traffic to get to practice sessions. For Lancero, a fresh graduate, goals outweigh obstacles. "If your career is into sports, that's really different from most Filipinos. People think where is the money in sports? But we've been representing the national team and a couple of years after, it will be a career I hope," he said. Compared to older teams like Thailand and Singapore, the Philippines is a newcomer and an underdog but the squad are confident. "I think our chances are really good. We're actually one of the favorites. I think we're considered a big threat to the other countries," Gautier said. The squad hope their performance in the regional games will bring them a step closer to their Olympic dream and earn the sport a bigger following in the Philippines. "Every single one of us here, playing or coaching, we are leaving our mark. That's extremely gratifying than being in a system that's already been established for years," said Gautier. "Here we're making history every day." – www.rappler.com/sports/specials/sea-games/179042-mighty-ducks-hockey-philippines
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 19, 2017 19:54:15 GMT 8
Two Fil-Canadian ice hockey players cleared to play in Southeast Asian Games Filipino-Canadian players Carlo Martin Tenedero and Paul Gabriel Sanchez will be allowed to play for the Philippine hockey team in the Southeast Asian Games after earlier encountering eligibility issues. “This is a great relief for us and great morale boost for the team,” said team manager Petronilo Tigaronita of the development while thanking national team of mission Cynthia Carrion for securing the decision during meeting of delegation mission chiefs earlier in the day. “Ma'm Cynthia told us she was successful in upholding the eligibility of our two players during their meeting this morning,” said Tigaronita, also the secretary general of local hockey organization Team Pilipinas. Sanchez and Tenedero were scratched from the Philippine ice hockey lineup by the Malaysian hosts because both allegedly failed to meet the required 16-month residency requirement. “But we have proof and documentation, including certification from their respective barangays that they have stayed in the Philippines since April 2016,” said teammate Francois Emmanuel Gautier, who arrived with Tigaronita ahead of the team in filing the appeal. “We only had four days to get them.” Ice hockey is making its debut in the 11-nation regional sports showcase. “Sanchez is one of our strong forwards while Tenedero is one of our best defenders,” he noted. The Philippines is considered among the gold-medal contenders in the event, with most of the players seeing action in the team that topped the second division in the Sapporo Asian Winter Games ice hockey tournament early this year. “If we play to our potential, I can’t see any reason why we won’t win (the gold),” said Filipino-Swiss goalkeeper Gianpetro Iseppi in an interview before the squad left for Kuala Lumpur. The Filipinos open their campaign against Indonesia on Monday at the Empire City Ice Arena in Damansara Perdana. They take on Singapore next before facing Malaysia and Thailand. The team with the most number of wins in the five-nation, single round series bags the gold medal. Read more at www.spin.ph/sea-games/news/carlo-martin-tenedero-paul-gabriel-sanchez-sea-games-ice-hockey#0k8zpBIhPjZHbo8Y.99These players were cleared during the Winter Asian Games a few months ago, with their stringent residency requirements, so I don't know why the organizers disqualified them in the first place. Sanchez were their leading scorer during the Asian Games, so it would have been a big blow to the team if he was disqualified.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 22, 2017 1:49:24 GMT 8
Filipinos break ice with 12-0 thumping of Indonesia in ice hockey
The Philippine ice hockey team's campaign in the 29th Southeast Asian Games was off to a rousing start with a dominant victory over Indonesia in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
The Filipinos blanked the Indonesian squad, 12-0, at the Empire City Ice Arena in Damansara Perdana. The Philippines' 12-point shellacking of Indonesia has been the most dominant performance in the SEA Games ice hockey tournament so far.
The Philippines will next face Singapore at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 22, 2017 12:45:56 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 22, 2017 18:26:19 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 23, 2017 1:35:41 GMT 8
I read that the Philippines might be hosting the top division of the 2018 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia next year, their first IIHF organized tournament. If they win I believe they become eligible to join the IHWC World championship level tournaments Division 3.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 23, 2017 4:01:25 GMT 8
One of the national team players Fil Canadian Carl Montano moved to the Philippines from Canada in 2011 to become national youth team coach. He helped developed many of the players who are now part of the men's national team. In fact half of the players on the national team are homegrown players below 22 y/o including 6 teenagers, so they have one of the youngest rosters in the SEA games. They are now playing with their coach on the national team.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 23, 2017 19:00:31 GMT 8
Well the Singapore match was pretty physical with numerous hits being delivered by the bigger defenceman(including some from North America) from Singapore. As a result one of the Filipino players Nico Cadiz apparently suffered a dislocated shoulder.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 23, 2017 21:43:06 GMT 8
End of Second period
Philippines 5-4 Malaysia
Philippines was leading 5-1 at one point but their team captain and best player Steven Fuglister got ejected because of a game misconduct. The team lost their composure and got dominated a bit after that.
One more period to go.
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