THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 6 | MARCH 2017 SPORTS
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THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 6 | MARCH 2017 SPORTS
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Feature : KAYLA FRANCHESCA
Playing on Ice
Yessir , there is a Philippine women ’ s Ice Hockey Team …
And they ’ re all set for this month ’ s IIHF Ice Hockey Women ’ s Challenge Cup of Asia . One team member is flying out from Sydney – Kayla Franchesca – whose family just recently migrated to Oz .
By Titus Filio
Now seriously there is a Philippine women ’ s Ice Hockey Team ?
“ I get that a lot !” Kayla tells AK referring to usual queries she receives from headscratching Pinoys who express surprise that there is a full-blown Philippine team that plays a sport on ice .
“ Whenever people find out that I play ice hockey they usually say either ‘ There is ice hockey in the Philippines ?!’ or ‘ You play ice hockey ? But you are small .’”
The 22-year old 5 ’ 1 ” De La Salle graduate plays forward left winger for the national team . She was barely 7 when she started playing ice hockey but not without first learning to skate on ice ( of course !).
“ I saw the movie ‘ The Mighty Ducks ’ when I was young . I remember walking inside the mall with my parents and I immediately begged them to take me ice skating . After that I knew I wanted to play ice hockey ,” she relates .
School and the love for another sport – soccer – took her mind off ice hockey for some time until a Canada-based uncle went back to the Philippines and reignited her attraction to the sport .
Her first competitive game in the Philippines was at the SM Mall of Asia where she played in the MIHL ( Manila Ice Hockey League ). She was the only girl then to play in the entire league during that season .
“ The very first ice hockey club I played for was called the Manila Blackwolves ( Peewee ), then the Christian Voyagers ( Bantams ). And when I got back after my long break , our club was called the Manila
Hawks coached by my uncle . In the Manila Ice Hockey League , I played for the Manila Predators in my first season , then got drafted to Emperador Deluxe , and then to Omni .”
While the upcoming tournament is not the team ’ s first international outing , it is considered a landmark event as it will be the first time that the Philippines will be playing as a fully accredited entity under the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ). Their family are new migrants first settling in Perth until they decided to move to Sydney where athletic Kayla is now trying on a bit of surfing .
“ My dad is a surfer and he lives in Baguio City so whenever I would go there to visit him we would drive to La Union and surf . I know how to play a bit of basketball and can shoot very well since I watch a lot of NBA .
“ I read a lot or just watch sports . I follow the NBA , NHL , NFL , and EPL . I like watching sports news too . I try to learn about sports as much as I can because my dream is to work in the sports industry .”
That dream is already beginning to materialise . She currently does part-time jobs as a journalist for the Australian Ice Hockey League and as statistician for the Sydney Basketball League . She does fundraiser work too for UNICEF , Greenpeace , and ActionAid Australia .
Back in the Philippines , Kayla , a major in filmmaking , did modeling jobs and was an endorser for Gold ’ s Gym Philippines , Adidas Neo Label , Sunsilk among others . She was once a muse for the PBA D League . Barely a year in Sydney , she still misses the Philippines .
“ It was very difficult at first because I used to feel homesick every single day , but like everything else , it just took time before I got to settle in and get used to things . I still miss home from time to time but I think of how lucky I am to be able to experience living in a different country .”
Although now based in Australia , she ’ s excited to be representing the Philippines in a sport she enjoys .
“ When people ask me what I love about ice hockey , I usually just typically say that it ’ s fun , because it is . I just have fun when I play and I don ’ t feel anything else ,” she says .
The tournament in Thailand takes place from March 7 to 15 . Participating countries include Thailand , Singapore , Malaysia , India , United Arab Emirates , New Zealand and the Philippines .
Pinoy men ’ s ice hockey team win bronze in Japan
Photo from FB Federation of Ice Hockey League , Inc . |
Pinoy athletes can really pull out a surprise here and there and the latest just came from the winter sport that is ice hockey . The Philippine Men ’ s National Ice Hockey team finished third and captured the bronze medal in their debut last month in the Division 2 of the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games ice hockey competition . |
The games were held at the Hoshioki Ice Skating Rink in Sapporo , Japan .
According to a sunstar . com report , the Philippines , a Group A second placer , routed Group B runnerup Macau , China by a convincing 9-2 victory in the battle for the third place .
“ We are the only tropical country that won a medal ,” said Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Ramon Fernandez .”
The Philippines men ’ s national squad was a selection of players from Islanders , Manila Sharps , Omni Hockey , Manila Griffins and Cricket Lighters .
The sunstar . com reported that the Filipinos lost their first match to Kyrgyzstan ,
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5-10 , but bounced back by eking out rousing victories over Qatar , 14-2 , and Indian Olympic Association , 8-3 , to arrange a bronze medal match with Macau that also posted two wins and one loss .
Philippine Sports Institute ( PSI ) national deputy training director and grassroots development chief Henry Daut cited the team , saluting the athletes , coaches and staff for their feat .
Judo official Lori Mendoza also congratulated the team , asking that should the country also look forward for the team to compete in the Winter Olympics . Other sports enthusiasts and netizens also praised the team , posting cheers and congratulations .
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