The Philippine Ice Hockey Team hopes to make the country proud as it competes against Thailand, Kuwait, Mongolia, and Singapore in the 2018 IHHF Challenge Cup of Asia at the SM Skating Mall of Asia.
MANILA -- The Philippines will host this year's Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia, a first for the country.
In a rare feat for a tropical nation, the SM Mall of Asia Skating Rink in Pasay will be the site of the 2018 edition of the ice hockey tournament sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
“We are very proud and excited to host, for the first time, the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia (CCA), which has been held in different countries since it was founded in 2008,” Chris Sy, Federation of Ice Hockey Philippines president, said in a news release issued Tuesday.
“We are honored to be a part of this wonderful opportunity to host the first official IIHF event in the country. This shows how the Philippines can truly be at par with its Asian neighbors, not only in terms of the quality of its sports programs and athletes, but also in the quality of its sports facilities,” added Herman Medina-Cue, Chief Operating Officer of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.
As host, the Philippine Ice Hockey Team, which captured the gold in last year's inaugural ice hockey competition during the SEA Games, will be in the top division of CCA, which will run from April 3 to 8.
Joining the Philippines in the tournament are ASEAN rivals Thailand and Singapore, Mongolia, and Kuwait.
The Philippines will first battle Thailand in a quick rematch of last year's SEA Games finals on the opening night.
The country will take a day off before swinging back to action against Kuwait on April 5.
The Philippines will then battle Mongolia the following day before capping its campaign with a showdown against Singapore on the final night of the tournament. (PNA)
