QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Philippine Ice Hockey Team wins bronze at the recently concluded Asian winter games in Sapporo, Japan.
The Filipinos finished in second place in group a with two wins and one loss, with their lone defeat coming against Kyrgyzstan, a 5-10 setback in their first match of the competition
The ice hockey event in the Asian winter games is divided into three divisions, with four teams competing in the top division, six teams in division 1, and 10 teams in division 2 – where the Philippines were playing.
The Filipinos finished in second place in group with two wins and one loss, with their lone defeat coming against Kyrgyzstan, a 5-10 setback in their first match of the competition.
However, they bounced back with a 14-2 rout of Qatar, and an 8-3 win over the independent Olympic athletes, to face Macau in the third-place game.
The Philippines claimed a dominant 9-2 victory over Macau, thanks to a quick start that saw them score five goals in the opening period.
The Philippines finished the tournament ranked 13th among 20 participants.
Ramon F. Villavicencio, whose flying v is sponsoring the team, believes the sport should be given due priority to develop and eventually blossom.