Martinez leads Filipino cast as PH hosts Asian Trophy

Ivan Saldajeno
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Winter Olympian Michael Martinez is expected to carry the Philippine banner as the country will host the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy.

"I have the competition here, the Asian Trophy, which will be held on Aug. 5-8 at the Mall of Asia Skating Rink," Martinez told Dugout Philippines on Tuesday at the Aristocrat Restaurant right after he a press conference for his upcoming skating camp.

[Related Story: Martinez to hold ice skating camps]

Martinez, who won the men's championship last year in Bangkok, is expected to go two in a row as he leads the host nation's contingent to the said event at the new skating rink in Pasay, just outside the Mall of Asia Arena.

To bolster his bid for back-to-back championships, he will leave for the United States for training starting in July, but right now he feels he is a better skater than before.

"Yung muscles ko, na-develop na. I guess [they] helped me better to jump and maintain the jumps," Martinez said in a separate interview.

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