TOP Filipino figure skater Michael Martinez shifts his focus to next year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the winter sport event will be played for the first time in the biennial meet.
The 19-year-old Martinez, who just returned to the country after a yearlong training in the United States, will spearhead the country’s campaign in ice skating event in the 2017 SEA Games, where ice hockey is also included.
The 2015 Asian Trophy champion promised to bring home the gold medal in his event.
“I want to assure everyone that I will do my best next year. I want to bring home the gold for the Philippines,” Martinez said on Tuesday in a news conference at Aristocrat, Manila.
Martinez was the first Filipino to compete in the Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi and he wants to inspire the young figure skaters to go for their dreams.
“It’s always a pleasure to fight for the country in any competition. I also want to inspire more kids to try skating. We are a tropical country, and we do not have ice, but if we really want it, we will succeed,” he added.
Martinez will be competing in this year’s Asian Trophy from August 5 to 8 here in Manila, as he also guns for another berth in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“My real target is to qualify again for the Olympics,” Martinez said. “But my focus today will be my upcoming competitions leading to the SEA Games next year.”