Let’s skate with the PH national hockey team!

“When I started playing hockey, there was only one girl in the club I joined. And when I joined the women's national team, there were less than ten of us. So to go from that to where we are today, it's amazing.”

Every year, the International Ice Hockey Federation hosts the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend, encouraging thousands of girls across 30 countries to try the sport. The Philippine National Women’s Hockey Team invited Go Hard Girls to join them on the ice and behind the scenes for this incredible event.

Ice sports remain a niche interest in the Philippines — a tropical country where the most popular sports are basketball and volleyball. But there is huge potential for Filipino ice hockey athletes to compete. The men’s national hockey team won gold in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, and the women’s team has won silver in the 2024 IIHF Women's Asia and Oceania Cup.

Photo by Yuka Fukuma

“If you want to play hockey, you need to really want it,” says Kathleen Tan, a member of the national team. While recovering from an injury, she helps out by organizing activities for younger hockey players.

Kathleen also shared that there were only 10 members of the women’s national team when she joined. But what started as a small group of pioneers has grown into a thriving community of female hockey players. The event brought together young girls and seasoned athletes to celebrate the progress of women’s hockey in the Philippines.

“Never give up,” says 14-year-old hockey player Miki Pe Aguirre. “It’s an aggressive sport. You’ll fall a lot, but it’s important to get back up.”

Hear the full story on the Go Hard Girls podcast!