The Philippine team is enjoying an upswing in hockey

MANILA, Philippines Even in a country without a winter season, hockey has grown so much that even the president of the Philippines recently congratulated the national team.

The recognition was well-deserved when the Philippine ice hockey team knocked off its competition last March to win gold at the 2023 IIHF World Championship Division IV in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Over the years, it’s only become more professional in how we as players approach the game, said Philippine team stalwart Steven Fuglister.

We gained more experience in the tournament and we know what it takes.

Sweeping the competition by mostly decisive margins, the wins included a 14-0 drubbing of Indonesia, another 14-0 win against Kuwait and a slim 7-6 win against the host nation that went into overtime.

Fuglister, the all-time leading scorer in the country’s history, took home the Philippine MVP honors.

The winning run also catapulted the Filipinos into Division III B, where they joined other Asian countries such as Singapore, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong, as well as other European teams such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The country actually qualified for the 2020 world event, but the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. The team faced similar problems in 2022, which made them unable to participate.

Fuglister said he has seen it all since he, a group of foreigners and local hockey enthusiasts founded the local league in 2015.

Hockey Philippines was eventually recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport’s governing body, through the efforts of President Christopher Sy.

“In 2017, when we went to the Asian Winter Games, the Philippine Olympic Committee equipped us with official clothes, so suddenly it felt more official,” recalled the Swiss forward.

During those formative years, they maintained momentum, leading to the country’s first ever Southeast Asian Games gold medals in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur and bronze in 2019 in Manila.

A grassroots program

When not competing, the players continue to hone their skills under the guidance of new Finnish coach Juhani Ijs and IV Division tournament leading scorer captain Manvil Billones.

In partnership with the Philippine Skating Union (PSU) and its energetic head Nikki Cheng, the team trains at several rinks around Metro Manila located in major shopping malls.

Fuglister was even invited to PSU’s Christmas fundraising gala last December, Carols on Ice, where she skated with the nation’s national figure skaters in the closing number.

One of Hockey Philippines’ focuses is its grassroots program, “Learn to Play,” held on Sunday mornings, the 37-year-old said.

– Children can come there, you get equipment, there is equipment that is offered to you for free. And you can go to a six-week program, I think, even every Sunday,” Fuglister said.

“You’ve got the national team coaches there, you’ve got the players there. It’s really like just getting a feel for the ice, mostly,” he continued.

“And just have fun, because I think at the level of how you get the kids involved, it’s like fun and fun. And I think so far it’s been pretty well organized.”

Physical grinding

Expansion has also been in the spotlight as the national players prepare for a physical grind against some of the tougher Asian and European teams in Division III B.

“I think we have to be aware of that. And I know the coach is aware of that,” said Fuglister, who captained the national team from its inception in 2016 until last year, when he took on the role of vice-captain.

[Ijs] I already mentioned that we will be doing a lot of ice trains to get stronger, our strengths are really speed and hockey, like only team players.

“I think the physicality, like the higher you go, the more physical it is. So I think we have to work for that,” he added.

Fuglister also thanked his wife, fashion designer Vania Romoff, for supporting him in his sport.

“He’s been very supportive of our kids and everything, taking care of them and also just moral support. It’s good to have someone in your corner … and he certainly has been,” the father of three said.

“When I met him, he didn’t know what hockey was, then over the years he loves it, so now he’s living proof that Filipinos can embrace this sport. Rappler.com