Boom in ice sports

With Olympic figure skater Michael Martinez performing to rave reviews in competitions all over the world and the Philippine hockey team making strides in preparation for the Southeast Asian Games in 2017, the SM Group is solidly behind the efforts to put the country in a position of prominence in ice sports.

SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. (SMLEI) has supported the growth of athletes on ice through skating programs such as the recent Summer Skate, a developmental platform for beginning figure skaters at the SM rinks in the Mall of Asia, Southmall and Megamall. The rinks of the Mall of Asia and Southmall are also where the hockey players hone their skills.

“Realizing the capability of the Filipino to excel in unconventional sports like ice skating, SMLEI brings focus to programs that will enrich the varied and exceptional sports of the Philippines,” said SMLEI president Ed Tejerero.

Martinez is backed up by an annual budget of P9 Million from SMLEI to travel the globe in bringing honor to the country as a figure skater. He’s currently ranked in the world’s top 30 and his goal is to finish in the top 10 at the World Championships in Boston on March 28-April 3 next year. Martinez is now in Beijing to participate at the Audi Cup of China. It’s his 19th birthday today.

Last August, Martinez headed a Philippine delegation to compete at the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Bangkok. He was joined by Sofia Guidote, Gaby Panlilio and Jules Alpe. Skaters from 14 countries across Asia and the Pacific performed with Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, China and the Philippines sending entries in the senior men and ladies, junior men and ladies, advance novice boys and girls, basic novice A boys and girls and basic novice B boys and girls categories.

Martinez claimed the gold medal in senior men while Guidote placed fourth of 21 in the basic novice B girls. Martinez and Guidote were the highest finishers among the Southeast Asian skaters in the meet. Alpe was 9th of 11 in junior men and Panlilio, 19th of 23 in the basic novice A girls.

In ice hockey, the Philippines U13 team recently captured the Gold Cup at the Malaysia Invitationals in Kuala Lumpur. The peewees lost all their three preliminary games to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia but in the knockout semifinals against the first seed Indonesia, they scored a 3-0 upset. And in the final against Singapore, the Filipino kids forced overtime with a tying marker with 40 seconds left in regulation then clinched the title in extension, 3-2.

In the open category, the Philippines has also impressed, emerging triumphant at the 13th annual BOCI-Prudential Asset Management Ice Hockey Championships in Hong Kong last September. The average age of the Philippine squad was in the range of 30 to 35 with Jorell Crisostomo the youngest at 15 and Scott Young the oldest at 46. The Philippines crushed Mongolia, 6-1, Hong Kong, 7-0 and the United Arab Emirates, 4-1, then lost to Mitsubishi of Japan, 6-4. In the final, the Philippines and Mitsubishi battled for the crown with the Filipinos gaining sweet revenge, 3-1.

The latest to deliver good news in Philippine ice sports was a group of 21 young figure skaters – aged 8 to 17 – who represented the country at the Asian Figure Skating Challenge in Hong Kong early last month. They competed in the elite junior, basic junior, basic novice and basic juveline divisions.

The Hong Kong Skating Union hosted the event which was sanctioned by the Asian Skating Union. Competitors came from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. Tejerero said the all-female team “held its own and displayed elegance on ice with nerves of steel against tough competition.” In all, the Philippines brought home a total of six gold, two silver and six bronze medals in a showcase of grace, beauty and athleticism.

Emee Marjorie Dy of the Makati Figure Skating Club bagged the overall championship for the second straight year in the basic junior category. Sophie Hernandez of the Metro Ice Skating Club took the overall bronze in basic juveline while Panlilio of the Manila Figure Skating Club claimed the overall bronze in basic novice A. Misha Fabian of the Fil-Chi Skating Club settled for the overall bronze in basic junior.

Sub-group gold medals were awarded to Hernandez in basic juvenile, Cathryn Lagemann and Kate Orrock in basic pre-novice, Panlilio and Charmaine Skye Chua in basic novice A and Dy in basic junior. Sub-group silver medals went to Aiko Shibata in basic novice A and Hannah Solomon in basic novice B. Sub-group bronze medals were claimed by Felicity Eco in basic pre-novice and Cacai Eid in basic pre-novice, Alexa Gonzaga in basic novice A, Johanna Tecson and Sofia Nagrampa in basic novice B and Fabian in basic junior. The SM coaching staff was led by Al Marinas assisted by Ronan Capili, Pom Domdom, Nonie Nerida and Clarisse Roman.

“The athletes on ice regularly train at the SM rinks in the Mall of Asia, Megamall and Southmall,” said Tejerero. “The Philippines has consistently fared well in the Hong Kong figure skating tournaments with our talented and dedicated skaters.”