Fil-Canadians bolster ice hockey bid

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Philippine men’s ice hockey team got a big boost on its golden bid in the 29th Southeast Asian Games with the reinstatement of Filipino-Canadian players Carlo Martin Tenedero and Paul Gabriel Sanchez.

Tenedero and Sanchez were initially disqualified by Malaysian organizers for allegedly failing to meet the required 16-month residency rule but Filipino officials appealed and got a favorable decision yesterday.

“This is a great relief for us and great morale boost for the team,” said team manager Petronilo Tigaronita, who thanked chef de mission Cynthia Carrion for securing the two’s reinstatement.

The Philippines submitted documentation, including certification from their respective barangays to prove they have stayed in Phl since April 2016.

The absence of both players would have been a major blow for the Filipinos in the ice sport event that is making its debut in the 11-nation regional sports showcase, according to Tigaronita.

“Sanchez is one of our strong forwards while Tenedero is one of our best defenders,” he said.

Phl is considered among the gold-medal prospects in the event, with most of the players from the team that won bronze in Division 2 of the Asian Winter Games suiting up.