21 female figure skaters, ages 8 to 17, will represent the Philippines in the Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge (AJFSC) in Hong Kong on October 5-7, 2015. These young athletes will carry the Philippine flag in their quest to win top honors for the country in their various competitive divisions including Elite Junior, Basic Junior, Basic Novice, and Basic Juvenile.
Hosted by the Hong Kong Skating Union and sanctioned by the Asian Skating Union, the AJFSC 2015 will be participated by competitors from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Philippines has consistently fared well in the Hong Kong figure skating tilt with its talented and dedicated athletes. These athletes-on-ice regularly train at the SM Skating ice rinks in Mall of Asia, Megamall, and Southmall.
We wish our skaters the best of luck on the ice.
A good year for ice skating
The Philippines has been exceling in the winter-based sport of figure skating this 2015. Recently, Philippine representatives Michael Martinez, Sofia Guidote, Gaby Panlilio and Jules Alpe flew to Bangkok to compete in the ISU Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy.
Against competitors from 14 countries across Asia, including Japan, Korea, and China, Martinez took home the gold from the Senior Category while Guidote placed 4th out of 21 skaters in Ladies Novice B.
As reported in the SEA Games News, Michael and Sofia were the highest finishers among the skaters from the South East Asian Region to participate in the competition. The Asian Open Trophy is a precursor to the ISU Junior and Senior Grand Prix.