Cool change: Philippine team revels in ice hockey upswing

MANILA, Philippines – Even for a country with no winter season, ice hockey has notably grown in strides that even the Philippine president recently congratulated the national team.

The recognition was very much deserved as the Philippine ice hockey team decimated its competition last March to capture the gold in the 2023 IIHF World Championship Division IV in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

“Over the years, it just became more professional on 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 mostly by decisive margins, the wins included a 14-0 beatdown of Indonesia, another 14-0 victory against Kuwait, and a slim 7-6 victory against the host country that took overtime.

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

The title run also propelled the Filipinos to Division III B, where they join other Asian countries like Singapore, Iran, Kyrgyztan, and Hong Kong, as well as other European squads like Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The country actually qualified for the 2020 edition of the world event, but the tournament got cancelled due to the pandemic. The team faced similar problems in 2022, rendering them unable to participate.

Fuglister said he had seen it all since he, a group of expatriates, and local aficionados of hockey put up a 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, we got outfitted by the Philippine Olympic Committee with the official clothes, so like, all of a sudden, it felt like more official,” recalled the Fil-Swiss forward.

During those formative years, they sustained momentum, leading toward the country’s first Southeast Asian Games medals – a gold in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur and a bronze in the 2019 edition in Manila.

Grassroots program

When not in competition, the players continue to hone their craft under the tutelage of new Finnish coach Juhani Ijäs, and the leadership of captain Manvil Billones, the leading scorer of the Division IV tournament.

In partnership with the Philippine Skating Union (PSU) and its energetic head Nikki Cheng, the team practices in several skating rinks across Metro Manila situated inside big malls.

Fuglister was even invited during the PSU’s Christmas fundraising gala last December, “Carols on Ice,” where he skated with the country’s national figure skaters in the closing number.

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

“That is where kids can come, you get gear, there’s gear that is provided to you for free. And you can go to I think like a six-week program, also every Sunday,” said Fuglister.

“You have the national team coaches there, there are players there. It’s really like a… just to get the feeling for the ice, mostly,” he continued.

“And just have fun, ’cause I think at that level, how you can get the kids in, it’s like having fun and a good time. And I think so far, it’s been pretty well organized.”

Physical grind

Bulking up has also been a focus as the the national players prepare for a physical grind against some of the heftier Asian and European squads in Division III B.

“I think that’s something we need to be aware of. 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 the alternate captain role.

“[Ijäs] already mentioned that we’re gonna do a lot of ice trains to get stronger, our strengths are really speeds and hockey, like just the team players.” 

“I think the physicality, like the higher you get, the more physical it will be. So I think that’s something we will need to work for,” he added.

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

“She’s been very supportive with our children and everything, to take care of them and also, just moral support, you know. It’s good to have someone in your corner… and she’s certainly been that way,” said the father of three.

“When I met her, she didn’t know what hockey is, then over the years, now she loves it, so now, she’s living proof that Filipinos can embrace this sport.” – Rappler.com