Filipino Mighty Ducks chase hockey glory

The Philippines’ gold-medal bid for regional supremacy in ice hockey got a shot in the arm after two of its key players earned the go-signal from Southeast Asian Games organizers to compete.

Carlo Martin Tenedero and Paul Gabriel Sanchez, both Filipino-Canadians have been allowed to play in the SEA Games after the country’s men’s ice hockey team won its appeal to reinstate the two Fil-Canadians in the team last weekend.

Both players were earlier disqualified for allegedly violation eligibility rules.

“This is a great relief for us and great morale boost for the team,” said team manager Petronilo Tigaronita.

Tenedero and Sanchez were initially removed from the lineup after the hosts claimed both failed to meet the required 16-month residency rule under international standards.

“But we have proof and documentation, including certification from their respective barangays that they have stayed in the Philippines since April 2016,” said teammate Francois Emmanuel Gautier, who arrived with Tigaronita ahead of the team in filing the appeal.

“We only had four days to get them,” he added.

The Philippines is considered to be the favorites to rule ice hockey, which is making its debut in the regional event.

“If we play to our potential, I can’t see any reason why we won’t win [the gold],” said Filipino-Swiss goalkeeper Gianpetro Iseppi in an interview before the squad left for Kuala Lumpur.

The Filipinos opened their campaign against Indonesia on Monday at the Empire City Ice Arena in Damansara Perdana, a new commercial hub in this bustling and progressive Malaysian capital.

They take on Singapore next then, Malaysia before closing out their stint against Thailand on Thursday.

The team that finishes with the most number of wins bags the gold medal.

Dubbed "The Mighty Ducks" after the 1992 Disney film, the Philippine men's ice hockey team are targeting gold in Malaysia - a far cry from the days when their players knew only of the sport from watching movies.

“The Mighty Ducks' has been an inspiration to most hockey players, especially if you're in a tropical country like the Philippines," team forward Lenard Lancero, 22, told local media by the rink in the mall where the team practice.

"You've only been watching hockey, seeing it just in the movies. But when there was ice hockey here in (the mall), it's like a dream come true."

In a nation known for its pristine beaches and obsession with basketball, ice hockey has only recently emerged as an unlikely but increasingly popular sport.

What started as a hobby for boys who would ask their parents to take them to rinks in the country's sprawling shopping centers slowly turned into a competitive sport with the creation of a national federation two years ago.

Teenage students and professionals in their thirties all represent their country, and they bagged a bronze medal in their first official tournament at the Asian Winter Games in Japan in February.

Despite their achievements, the squad still get strange looks from surprised shoppers as they haul their gear to the rink, said defenseman Julius Santiago, 21.

"But when they see us play, they're really amazed. They like watching it because it's intense, especially when there's full contact. And Filipinos love fighting, the hitting, so that's what excites them to watch us play," he said.

This year marks the first time winter sports have featured in the SEA Games.

French-Filipino Francois Gautier, the team's alternate captain, said practicing in the Philippines was much tougher than in France, Canada or the United States which have thousands of skating rinks as opposed to the Asian nation's four.

"It's more organized there for sure. The level is higher. Here, we're doing the baby steps," Gautier, 33, told AFP.

Funding is another challenge, with sticks, helmets, shin pads, elbow pads and gloves costing at least $1,000 a set. The group gets by with contributions from corporations, the government and their own pockets.

Team members divide time between school or work and training as well as cutting through Manila's notorious traffic to get to practice sessions.

For Lancero, a fresh graduate, goals outweigh obstacles.

"If your career is into sports, that's really different from most Filipinos. People think where is the money in sports? But we've been representing the national team and a couple of years after, it will be a career I hope," he said.

Compared to older teams like Thailand and Singapore, the Philippines is a newcomer and an underdog but the squad are confident.

"I think our chances are really good. We're actually one of the favorites. I think we're considered a big threat to the other countries," Gautier said.

The squad hope their performance in the regional games will bring them a step closer to their Olympic dream and earn the sport a bigger following in the Philippines.

"Every single one of us here, playing or coaching, we are leaving our mark. That's extremely gratifying than being in a system that's already been established for years," said Gautier.

"Here we're making history every day."