The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Philippine men’s floorball team will leave for Thailand Tuesday night to compete in the 1st Asia-Oceania Floorball Cup to be held at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on July 1-6.
The team is composed of Ralph Ramos (center), Saldi Amador (defender), Jason Florentino (forward), Luis Manila III (defender), Hazzer Talingdan (forward), Mark Polo (forward), Joshua Paunil (forward), Tata Cabillas (defender), Henielee Pastor (defender), Ronald Carbonell (forward), JK de Jesus (defender), Joco Navarro (forward), Claude Vitaliano (center), Mav Manipor (forward), Jerome Santiago (goalkeeper), Nico Velez (defender), Aries Perol (forward), Renzo Fabon (center), Ysaac Gelangre (forward) and Sfike Estabillo (goalkeeper).
Peter Eriksson (left in photo) from Sweden, who has been playing and coaching in floorball for more than 30 years, will serve as head coach.
The 1st Asia-Oceania Floorball Cup will be the national team’s third international exposure after competing in the 1st Southeast Asian Championships (2014) and the Southeast Asian Games (2015) in Singapore.
“We finished last among four countries in our previous tournaments. Hopefully, we can do better in Thailand,” said the 29-year-old Ramos (right in photo) in an interview during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday.
The Philippines was fourth behind Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in the 2014 Southeast Asian Championships. In the 2015 SEA Games, where floorball debuted as a medal sport, the Philippines placed fourth behind Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.
Ramos, who serves as captain of the national team, is the president of the Philippine Floorball Association (PFA), which he formed in 2011.
The 5-foot-9 Ramos played fencing (sabre event) during his college days at the University of the Philippines where he took up sports science. He has a Master of Science degree in Sport Management and Health Promotion from the University Jyvaskyla in Finland.
Eriksson, who is married to a Filipina from Butuan City, said the Philippines will be aiming to reach the semifinal round in Thailand.
“It will be a tough competition but we will do our best,” said Eriksson, who has coached at the top level for both men’s and women’s teams in Sweden.
Coach Noel Alm Johansson, who was born in the Philippines but grew up in Sweden, will proceed to Thailand to assist Eriksson.
The Philippines is in Group A with China, Iran and Singapore. In Group B are India, Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand.
Floorball is a stick-and-ball sport similar to hockey. It is played with two teams of five players and a goalie each. Playing time is three periods, with 20 minutes each period.
“Floorball is a sport where Filipinos can excel. A player has to be fast and with a good balance,” said Eriksson.
Floorball, which originated in Sweden, is played in 60 countries. The Philippines joined the International Floorball Federation in May 2011 and became a member of the Asia-Oceania Floorball Confederation the following year.
JEAN T. MALANUM/PNA