MANILA, Philippines – The fast-paced and fast-growing sport of floorball will be in full display when the Philippines hosts the Men’s Floorball Championships Asia-Oceania Qualifiers from May 21-25 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Eight countries are in the fold, including Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. The top three finishers will qualify to the World Floorball Championships set in Sweden in December.
“Eight national teams will compete for the three slots to the World Championships,” said Philippine Floorball Association president Ralph Ramos at Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The teams will be divided into two groups with the Philippines joining New Zealand, Thailand and Korea in one group, and Australia, China, Japan and Singapore in another. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semis leading to the final match.
It will be interesting to watch the Philippines face Thailand, which won their clash for the gold medal in the Cam bodia SEA Games last year.
Four ma tches per day will be played starting at 10 a.m. All Philippine matches are scheduled at 4 p.m.
Joining Ramos in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Smart/PLDT, MILO, and the 24/7 sports app in th e country ArenaPlus were Philippine team coach Noel Alm Johansson and team captain Lucas Perez Oijvall.
“I think we are one of the favorites to qualify although Thailand and Australia are the biggest challenges. We have our strongest team ever. They are all very excit ed to play before the home crowd,” said Johansson.
Oijvall said seven new players have joined the team since it won the silver in the SEA Games.
“We are tr ying to find the right chemistry but we have more options now and we are more experienced now. We have a stronger team than before with better opportunities and better formation,” he said.
“And it will be an advantage for us playing here,” Oijvall added.
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine billiards gets a needed shot in the arm with the holding of the first-ever professional pool league this year.
Four teams representing the country’s major islands Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao make up the initial cast competing in the inaugural Sharks Billiards Association.
Some of the finest players and rising stars of the sport will make up the composition of the pioneering teams, according to chief executive officer and founder Hadley Mariano, who was joined by Chief Operating Officer Mark Orendain, and Commissioner Chino Trinidad in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“’Di ba ang hinihingi natin is a regionalistic flavor, so sabi ko ibigay na natin yan sa tatlong regions natin — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” said Trinidad in the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT and the leading sports entertainment gateway in the country ArenaPlus.
The fourth team is reserved for what Trinidad refers to as the “epicenter of billiards” in the country.
“Pag-uusapan pa namin kung ito ba ang sentro ng bilyar dito sa atin. Itong NCR ba o ang Pampanga ba? Kasi kahit saan ka magpunta, may nagbi-bilyar. Pero ano ang acknowledged na epicenter, is it Manila or is it somewhere in Pampanga na birthplace ni Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes,” said the former broadcaster and commissioner of the defunct Philippine Basketball League.
A draft pool will be held prior to the opening of the meet, but Mariano refused to name the players who have already committed to see action in the tournament.
“Marami akong nakikitang players na magaling pero hindi nabibigyan ng pagkakataon. So itong mga player na ito, gusto ko silang unahin kasi walang silang sponsor, wala silang manager, hindi makasali sa mga tournament,” he said. “So the league will start with players na hindi nakakalabas ng bansa. Pero definitely, these are top players (in the country).”
All players will have their respective salaries and contracts, and will undergo professional training.
Initially, five players will composed each team, before increasing its numbers to six and eight in the succeeding seasons.
The tournament format will have two teams facing each other in a week and involves competition in singles, doubles, and 5-on-5, with corresponding point system.
The first season will run up for three months.
“We’re targeting to start, roughly by August. Pero who knows, baka mas maaga pa tayong makapagsimula, e di mas masaya,” said Mariano, son of longtime billiards patron Perry Mariano.
Added Trinidad, “Super-excited akong masimulan ito dahil naniniwala ako na collectively, maibabangon ulit natin ang Philippine billiards.”