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SEA Games: Floorball teams eye breakthrough medals

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo by Chris Clemente" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/30/1floor.jpg"/><figcaption>Floorball equipment. Photo by Chris Clemente</figcaption></figure></div>The Philippines&#x27; floorball teams will shoot for breakthrough medals in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games after going empty-handed the last time the sport was included in the regional showpiece.Philippine Floorball Association vice president Marco Ortiz expressed confidence in the country&#x27;s medal chances as the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s squads wrapped up their preparations for the floorball competitions set to start on May 11.&quot;Our expectation for this year is for us to grab that first SEA Games medal for both the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s team,&quot; said Ortiz in a mix of Filipino and English. &quot;Any medal would be a success. Of course, we want the gold.&quot;In the 2019 SEA Games hosted by the Philippines, the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s squads both finished fourth at home as Singapore and Thailand triumphed.Thailand ruled the men&#x27;s division as Singapore and Malaysia settled for second and third, while Singapore reigned supreme in the women&#x27;s class where Thailand and Malaysia ended up as runners-up.Ortiz hopes the addition of key players will get the teams – backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee – over the hump.The men&#x27;s side will be reinforced by Kim Varga and Melvin Mendoza who are seeing action in the floorball league in Sweden, where the sport originated.Jade Rivera, Filipina-Finnish Heidi Hyrylainen, and Filipina-Swedish Angelica Bengtsson will lead the women&#x27;s crew.&quot;Thailand and Singapore are our toughest foes. We&#x27;ll see. Our chances are good this year,&quot; Ortiz said.<div>For more stories on the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, click <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/seagames2023">here</a>.</div>

The Philippines' floorball teams will shoot for breakthrough medals in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games after going empty-handed the last time the sport was included in the regional showpiece.