Village Connect
In anticipation of the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Bank of China and SM Supermalls came together last Saturday, January 22, to celebrate the Philippines’ lone representative in the Winter Games – Olympic Alpine skier Asa Miller. The 21-year-old is set to compete in the men’s giant slalom and slalom events in February.
The exhibition, entitled “Together on Ice,” successfully showcased the country’s winter sports athletes at the newly reopened SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink. The efforts of Bank of China and SM Supermalls, with support from the Chinese Embassy, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Philippine Skating Union (PHSU), have given aspiring athletes and sports enthusiasts further exposure to ice sports; which, in a tropical country like the Philippines, is a rarity.
According to Nikki Cheng, President of the Philippine Skating Union and Sports Development Manager of SM Lifestyle, initiatives like “Together on Ice” and venues such as the SM Supermalls Ice Skating Rinks are crucial in developing sports that the country has so much potential to excel in. “The importance of providing athletes [with] a venue to train is vital for their professional growth as a sportsperson. Not only does the venue serve as an enjoyment ground for fans and spectators, but it is also considered their holy ground that bears witness to their achievements, failures, and breakthroughs.”
