François Gautier: Guardian of the Goal for Philippine Ice Hockey

When Jann So Tiong first stepped onto the ice, it was not competition that greeted him, it was curiosity. What began as a casual public skating session with his parents soon turned into a lifelong passion.

“We happened to run into one of my mom’s college friends whose son played ice hockey,” he recalled. “They let me try it, and I just soon grew to love it.”

Born on February 1, 2002, Jann is a solid defenseman for the Philippine Ice Hockey Team. What drives him most is not personal glory, but the privilege of representing his country on the international stage.

“In one word, it’s honor,” he said. “You don’t always get the opportunity to represent your country. I take so much pride and honor in playing for the Philippines.”

For the University of Santo Tomas product, the team is not just a group of athletes, it is family.

“We are all different in terms of age,” he explained. “There are older ones we look up to like kuyas, and younger ones too. Our coaches and team manager are like fathers or titos.”

The family-like bond goes beyond camaraderie; it was built on accountability and respect. 

“Even the younger ones can call out the older ones if something’s wrong,” he said. “We keep each other accountable, whether it’s about discipline or teamwork.”

This close-knit culture, he believes, is what fuels the team’s growth and strengthens their unity on ice.

As one of the national team’s rising defensive anchors, Jann has his eyes set on both personal and team achievements. 

“Of course, I want to help the country move up divisions in our world championship ranking,” he shared. “And I want to bring pride to the Philippines by winning medals, whether in the SEA Games or other tournaments.”

Individual recognition would be nice, he admitted, but it is not his main goal. 

“I’d rather get a gold medal for the country than any personal award,” the San Juan native said, reflecting his team-first mindset.

Outside of hockey, Jann enjoys a grounded, family-oriented life. “When I’m not at the rink, I’m either working out or spending time with my family,” he said. “I also like trying different things—new food, new activities. I just like experiencing new things.”

His passion for the game, however, always shines through. When asked what message he would give to anyone curious about hockey, his response was simple and inspiring:

“It can be scary at the start, since you’re on skates and on ice, but if you give it a try, you’ll like it. It’s something you don’t see every day, and once you try it, you’ll realize it’s easier than you think.”

From a young skater in San Juan to a national team defenseman, Jann So Tiong’s journey is one marked by passion, discipline, and national pride. His story reflects the heart of Philippine ice hockey itself, tight-knit, resilient, and always ready to defend the country’s colors with pride. 

In a country where sun blazes year-round and basketball courts are found on nearly every corner, the idea of building a national ice hockey team might seem impossible. Yet, inside the cold confines of the rink, Finnish coach Juhani “Jay” Ijäs is helping the Philippine Men’s National Ice Hockey Team carve out a story that’s both unlikely and inspiring.

Having led the squad for the past three years, Coach Jay witnessed the sport’s evolution firsthand, from its early days to its growing presence on the international stage.

“The Philippines started to go international in 2017,” he said. “There were half Filipino players who helped build the program, some of them are still playing today, but now it is a good blend of older and younger players.”

Since making their international debut, the Filipino ice warriors have steadily gained recognition across Southeast Asia and is currently ranked 54th in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Ranking. 

While the program remains relatively young, he sees its progress as a testament to the players’ passion and perseverance, proof that love for the sport can thrive even in the tropics. 

When Coach Jay arrived in the Philippines, he knew the challenges ahead: limited ice time, scarce training facilities, and a small player base. Yet, the Finnish tactician, who grew up surrounded by one of Europe’s most hockey-crazed cultures, approached it with patience and optimism.

“We are still a very small and young program,” he said. “Not only the national team, but we also need to recruit more younger players so that ice hockey will continue to grow in the Philippines.”

He believes that the real growth begins at the grassroots. Beyond building elite athletes, it is about introducing the sport to the next generation, one child at a time.

To ensure the ice hockey’s long-term future, Coach Jay, who is also the program director of the team, and the federation launched a “Learn to Play” program every Sunday morning open to children as young as three or four years old.

“It’s not really ice hockey yet,” he explained. “It’s just to get the feel of the ice. We need to start young because hockey is demanding, learning to skate, controlling the puck, and adapting to the physicality of the game.”

By partnering with schools and promoting the sport among families, the goal is to make skating, and eventually hockey, more accessible to Filipino youth.

Developing both talent and teamwork has been another challenge for the Finnish coach. With limited rink availability shared among men’s, women’s, and youth teams, training time is precious.

“We don’t have much extra ice time,” he admitted. “So we have to balance individual skill development with team play. Usually, about 30 minutes go to individual drills and the rest to our game systems and structure.”

Despite these constraints, the team continues to refine its systems, relying on discipline, conditioning, and camaraderie, in which Coach Jay emphasizes every session.

For him, physical conditioning is non-negotiable. Ice hockey demands more than technical skill; it requires resilience and athleticism to withstand 60 minutes of intense, high-speed play.

“We want to be a stronger skating team,” he said. “It is very demanding to play a full 60-minute game, so we cannot get fatigued. That’s the number one thing to be in good shape and be an athlete.”

With improved fitness and structure, he hopes the national team can stand toe-to-toe with more established programs in future tournaments, including the Southeast Asian Games.

Despite the challenges of promoting an ice sport in a tropical country, Coach Jay remains hopeful. He has seen how the energy of the players and the enthusiasm of young fans can create something special.

“Come here to the ice rink and watch our national teams play,” he urged. “It is really exciting, it is a unique sport. And if you don't like the game of ice hockey itself, maybe just ice skating, Philippines is fun, you can get away from the heat of outside and come here inside the cold."

From Finland to the Philippines, Coach Jay has brought with him more than just experience, he has brought belief. Under his guidance, the Philippine Men’s National Ice Hockey Team continues to prove that even in a land of sunshine, greatness can be forged on ice.

Filipina weightlifter Jhodie Peralta delivered a strong showing at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, capturing medals in both the snatch and clean and jerk events of the Girls’ 57-kg category.

Peralta came close to clinching gold in the snatch, lifting 85 kg and 87 kg before narrowly missing her final attempt. Her 87-kg lift was enough to secure the silver medal, just behind North Korea’s Hae Yon Pak, who topped the event with 88 kg—a new World and Asian Youth record.

“I was so close, but I will strive to improve next time,” Peralta told POC Media following her podium finish.

In the clean and jerk, Peralta managed a 100-kg lift to claim the bronze medal after unsuccessful tries at 105 kg and 107 kg. Pak once again dominated the event, setting new world and continental marks with a 107-kg lift, while Vietnam’s Lien Y earned silver with a total of 188 kg.

Peralta’s double-podium performance marked another proud moment for the Philippines in the continental youth stage, highlighting her potential as one of the country’s emerging weightlifting stars.

The Philippines’ boxing campaign at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Manama, Bahrain, came to a close after Leo Mhar Lobrido settled for a bronze medal in the Boys’ 46-kg division.

Lobrido, the country’s last remaining boxer in contention, bowed to Uzbekistan’s Abdugani Yorkinjonov in the semifinals. The Uzbek fighter capitalized on his height and reach advantage, edging out Lobrido with a 3-2 decision in the opening round before pulling away in the second with sharp, accurate combinations.

Yorkinjonov’s dominance secured him a finals berth against Kazakhstan’s Arman Myrsabit, who earlier swept Tajikistan’s Damir Nazarov, 5-0.

Despite the loss, the 17-year-old from Bago City, Negros Occidental, earned the Philippines’ best boxing result of the Games with his bronze finish, showcasing resilience and promise against Asia’s rising talents.

Meanwhile, other Filipino boxers were unable to reach the medal rounds. James Justin Zampatti fell to Uzbekistan’s Diyorbek Murodilloev via referee-stopped contest in the Boys’ 75-kg quarterfinals, while Shairylle Porres exited after losing to Chinese Taipei’s Fang-yu Chen in the Girls’ 46-kg category.

Jefferson Amaya (50kg), John Michael Estorba (54kg), and Ermallie Caballero (50kg) were earlier eliminated during the preliminaries.

The Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) is going all out in its preparations for the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, set for November 20–24 at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom.

The prestigious global event will gather a record-breaking number of nations and athletes, further highlighting the Philippines’ growing prominence in the gymnastics world—especially after Carlos Yulo’s historic double gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

According to GAP, delegates will begin arriving by November 14, with some already expressing interest in staying longer to explore the country. Adding star power to the festivities, actor and GAP board member Derek Ramsay will host the opening ceremony.

“We are going all out in our effort to host this huge international sporting competition featuring the world’s top junior gymnasts,” said GAP President Cynthia Carrion. “It will be a showcase of skills and talent amid a lively, festive, and warm atmosphere that only Filipinos are known for.”

Carrion added that the Philippines’ track record in staging world-class sporting events convinced the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), led by President Morinari Watanabe, to entrust the hosting to Manila—following the federation’s Congress in Doha in 2024.

With passion, hospitality, and world-class preparation, the Philippines is ready to make history once again on the global gymnastics stage.