SM amplifies grassroots ice sports development through third hosting of SEA Trophy

Largest turn out and PH wins in three years signals growing pool of future skating champions

With the Southeast Asian (SEA) Open Short Track Speed Skating trophy's Philippine return, SM hopes the country's success at the international derby captures a crucial window of opportunity to further enrich local skating talent.

 

Designed as an entry-level international competition, the SEA Trophy gives young and emerging skaters the opportunity to compete, learn, and gain exposure on a friendly yet structured stage.

“We are thrilled with the results of the latest season of this international competition,” said Joseph Silva, Senior Assistant Vice President for SM Skating. “Since its inaugural run, we’ve seen steady growth in participation, and this year marks our highest turnout yet, along with the country’s strongest medal haul to date. Coupled with the surge of interest in ice sports following the Philippines’ recent SEA Games successes, we see this as a pivotal moment to spotlight the potential of our young, emerging athletes and further strengthen support for the development of their talent.”

 

On its third local mounting, the SEA Trophy has registered its largest volume of participants at 90 athletes ages six to 24 years old representing the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, and Indonesia. The Philippines emerged with a total medal win of 12 gold, 11 silver, and 6 bronze medals.

“Most of the athletes who join are starting out on their skating journeys. With this international competition, they gain more than a chance of winning medals. They attain access to a professional arena, while competing against regional athletes exposing them to different styles of athleticism,” said Nikki Cheng, President of the Philippine Skating Union.

Giving young, emerging athletes a home and an arena to shine

A long-time advocate of ice sports in the Philippines, SM has been home to the SEA Trophy since 2023. Mounted by SM through its Sports and Leisure Center (SLC) and SM Skating, the competition was hosted at the Olympic-sized rink of SM Skating Mall of Asia—one of the country's most established ice sports venues.

 

Backed by the International Skating Union (ISU) Development Commission and the Philippine Sports Commission, the SEA Trophy also serves as a development platform that ensures global participation in ice sports while encouraging skills progression, coaching exchange, and cross border-collaboration.

“Beyond providing conducive spaces for athletes to train and compete, SM recognizes that true skill development comes from exposure to international competition,” said Silva. “Events like this put everything they’ve trained for to the test, while fostering camaraderie and sportsmanship, values that are honed only on the ice, alongside fellow athletes.”

Through this holistic approach, SM has given both emerging and competitive athletes a home that hones them into champions. SEA Games podium finisher Hans Buemio started his skating journey at SM's skating rinks. He has gone on to qualify as the country’s first homegrown speed skater for the ISU Junior World Cup series and is preparing for the next competition in Utah. Meanwhile, emerging international skating athletes have also been honed through the SEA Trophy. Chinese skater Bingzhen Dai is also a product of the tournament and has been training in SM’s Skating Rinks for the last two years. Silva hopes that with holistic support, more emerging athletes like them can come to fulfill their potential.

 

“With SM, our skating industry will always have a home one that provides inclusive and accessible pathways for our talents to grow and succeed. Through the 2026 SEA Trophy, we look forward to discovering our future champions and showcasing their excellence to the world.”

About SM Supermalls

SM Supermalls, one of Southeast Asia’s largest mall developers with 89 malls in the Philippines, marks four decades of growth with Filipinos, serving as a trusted space where diverse lifestyles and generations connect. As it enters a new era, SM Supermalls continues evolving with you, redefining the malling experience through sustainability, innovation, and a deep commitment to shaping the future of retail and urban life with inclusive, meaningful experiences for all.

SM Sports and Leisure Center

With the mission of revolutionizing fitness and sports engagement in the country, SM Sports and Leisure Center (SLC) is dedicated to max out the sports experiences of Filipinos—whether through fun bonding moments or high adrenaline competition. Its commitment is to building spaces Where Winning Begins, conducive for bringing out the best in every moment, play, and routine. (SM Supermalls)

SEA Games Ice Athletes honored by SM through homecoming celebration

Home of Skating Champions hopes to further hone Filipino talent through spaces built to max out their potential

 

Following the monumental ice sports wins of the Philippines at the recently concluded Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, SM through the SM Sports and Leisure Center (SLC) honors the country's best skating athletes by welcoming them home.

“It goes without saying that we at SM stand with the whole Filipino community in expressing our pride over having you as the country's representatives,” said SM SLC Senior Assistant Vice President Joseph Silva.

The Philippines had a haul of eight medals for ice sports—one for gold, three for silver, and four for bronze.

For Speed Skating, Peter Groseclose brought home a gold and silver medal for the 500-meter and 1500-meter Short Track categories respectively. Additionally, the Men and Women's Speed Skating Relay teams earned podium finishes—Groseclose, Hans Buemio, Sunphil Zablan, and Jhan Cyruz Asuncion comprised the men's athletes while Shaelynn Bolos, Xsandrie Guimba, Ethelmae Suguitan, and Caitlyn Benitez made up the women's team.  

In the Figure Skating competition, Maxine Marie Bautista brought home silver for the Women’s category and Paolo Borromeo brought home bronze for the Male Category. Another exciting triumph came in the win of the newly-debuted Women's Ice Hockey team joining the Men's Hockey Team in a successful haul of Silver and Bronze respectively.

SM Supermalls: Making spaces that max out the potential of ice athletes and build champions

With the mission of revolutionizing sports engagement in the country, SM SLC ensures its Skating Rinks are the best spaces conducive for coaches and athletes to simulate their winning plays and routines.

 

Prior to the SEA Games, SM's Olympic-sized skating rinks served as the main training space for the country's representatives: The Ice Hockey teams found their home base at SM Skating Mall of Asia and the Speed Skating athletes maximized their plays at SM Skating Megamall.

“SM believes that effectively supporting our skating athletes is a holistic effort to max out their talent, not just giving them a base to train. This means building up our local skaters starts earlier in their career, when they may have limited resources and highly depend on accessible spaces that can nurture their grit without wasting their passion,” Silva said. “The other side of that coin is giving them opportunities for exposure to allow them to shine and build their confidence.”

In this regard, SM Skating has hosted international tournaments for Figure Skating, Speed Skating, and Ice Hockey. This in turn, provided athletes more competitive avenues to gain experience, testing their plays and routines against skaters from different countries. Silva also noted that exposure was a key contributor to strengthen support for ice sports such as in the case for Ice Hockey where international competitions like the SEA Games increased the growing popularity of the game in a nation not native to ice-based competitions. 

Beyond its celebration of the athlete's wins, SM also awarded supplementary ice time to the winners to further support their training and practice sessions.

“Our celebration today goes beyond acknowledging the wins of our athletes—people may sometimes forget that the fast moment of their winning plays and flawless routines took months, even years, to build and perfect. That meant tireless practice and grueling repetition, and SM is proud to be the home that provides them spaces built for the sole purpose of bringing the best out of every athlete—whether they are just starting out or have grown into competitive skaters,” said Silva.

SM Sports and Leisure Center

With the mission of revolutionizing fitness and sports engagement in the country, SM Sports and Leisure Center (SLC) is dedicated to max out the sports experiences of Filipinos—whether through fun bonding moments or high adrenaline competition. Its commitment is to building spaces Where Winning Begins, conducive for bringing out the best in every moment, play, and routine. (SM Supermalls)