Figure skaters and ice-hockey players set to blaze the rink

Busy weeks ahead at the Mall of Asia ice-skating rink as the Filipino figure skaters and ice-hockey players stage two big events on ice.

SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. sports development head CJ Suarez announced the schedule of events during the Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

First on tap is the International Ice-Hockey tournament from Nov. 25 to 28 at the brand-new skating rink located between the MOA Arena and SMX Convention Center.

Then on Dec. 1 and 2, the Philippine National Figure Skating Championships will take place, featuring over 40 of the country’s finest figure skaters.

“These are two major skating events that will coincide with the opening of the new skating rink,” said Suarez, winner of the 2003 bowling World Cup.

Also gracing the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. are figure skaters Sofia Isabel Victoria Guidote and Jules Alpe, Federation of Ice Hockey Leagues secretary-general Peter Tigaronita, team manager Francois Gautier, and SMLEI public relations and advertising manager Stephanie Henares.

Guidote, a 13-year-old figure skater, expects the people to watch the event so they can see “how good the locals are” and it’s the first international ice-hockey event in the country.

Gautier said the ice-hockey event will be divided into four categories – 10-under (squirt), 12-under (peewee) and 16-under (bantam) and under-25 (men’s).

There will be teams from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to challenge the Filipinos, who are slowly making a name in ice-hockey in the Asian region.

“We have high expectations for our teams. The speed is there. Our players have been training hard almost everyday. They are to be reckoned with,” said Gautier.

Last September, a 13-under team from the Philippines won a gold medal in Malaysia, and according to Tigaronita, “hockey teams all around Asia are now looking at the Philipines.”

There are no cash prizes at stake in the ice-hockey event but pure “bragging rights” according to the ice-hockey official.