The Canberra Reporter CanRep8pg02 JUN2017 | Page 8

PLAYING ICE HOCKEY NO LESS
BOXING
COMEBACK BID AFTER RETIREMENT IN AUGUST ’ 16
BASKETBALL
8 | June 2017

SPORTS

ICE HOCKEY

Kayla ’ s short in stature but all heart

PLAYING ICE HOCKEY NO LESS

KAYLA FRANCHESCA wearing the Philippine Ice Hockey team colours . Inset : Kayla relaxed .
THE Philippines entered a team at the recent Ice Hockey Women ’ s Challenge Cup of Asia – and one member of the team was a new immigrant to Australia .
A diminutive ( 5ft 1in ) Kayla Franchesca , of Sydney , played left wing for the national side which placed fifth in the seventeam tournament in Bangkok , Thailand , in March .
The Philippines made its debut in this tournament .
New Zealand won the competition , with Thailand second .
Other teams besides the Philippines were Singapore , India , United Arab Emirates and Malaysia , which finished last .
The Philippines ’ goalkeeper Jessica Cabili was named the competition ’ s best goalkeeper .
It was an impressive entry to the international ice hockey for the Filipinas .
In an interview with Ang Kalatas editor Titus Filio before Kayla flew to Bangkok for the tournament , she said many people she met were surprised that Filipinos played ice hockey and that she was so short for a very physical game like ice hockey .
Kayla said people would ask : ‘ There is ice hockey in the Philippines ?” or “ You play ice hockey ?
“ But you are so small .”
She was barely seven years old when Kayla started playing ice hockey .
“ I saw the movie The Mighty Ducks ,” Kayla said .
“ And I remember walking inside the mall with my parents and immediately begged them to take me ice skating . After that I knew I wanted to play ice hockey ,”
The Franchesca family first settled in Perth WA before moving to Sydney where Kayla has started to pick up surfing . •

BOXING

Good performance

could not win judges ’ nod in Asis ’ return

COMEBACK BID AFTER RETIREMENT IN AUGUST ’ 16

BASKETBALL

JACK Asis put up a good fight on his first fight coming out of retirement but couldn ’ t get the judges ’ nod against China ’ s Can Xu in a bid to take the World Boxing Association ( WBA ) super-featherweight boxing title back to Australia .
Asis lost by unanimous decision Shan Xi Normal University stadium on Sunday , May 7 , 2017 .
The fight was pretty tight and close , but the Can Xu had the Filipino- Australian off-balance on my occasions and appeared to have a more consistent game plan .
There were several exciting exchanges , each keeping the pressure
JACK ASIS
up and not backing off the action .
Asis ’ trainer-manager Brendon Smith said he was happy with his fighter ’ s performance , less than a year after losing a World Boxing Organisation ( WBO ) world superfeatherweight title against South Africa ’ s Malcolm Klassen in August 2016 .
Asis announced his retirement soon after that loss but returned to training in December .
Shortly after his fight , flew to Japan to support Smithy ’ s TGW Gym mate Herman Ene-Purcell in his fight for he vacant WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title against Kyotaro Fujimoto . •

Gilas hoist Trophy

GILAS Pilipinas continued to lord over South East Asian basketball with a crushing victory over Indonesia , 97- 64 , to win their 8th SEABA title at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday , May 19 , 2017 .
The SEABA tournament win enabled Gilas to qualify for the 2017 FIBA- Asia Cup in August 2017 against Qatar , Iran , Jordan , Syria , Iraq , Australia , New Zealand and Lebanon .
Coached by Chot Reyes , the RP Five fielded its tallest-ever line-up in Philippine history . They swept the tournament 6-0 by an average winning
margin of 58.6 points and remain kings of ASEAN hoops .
The Indons headed into the SEABA finals undefeated with a 5-0 record before hitting a brick wall against the Filipinos .
Gilas ’ menacing 6ft 11in frontcourt giants June Mar Fajardo and naturalised player Andray Blatche terrorised the Indonesians inside the paint with 21 points and 14 points apiece , while point-guard Jayson Castro grabbed 14 points , 7 rebounds and 5 assists . •
- MARCO SELORIO