- 7 months ago
What does it take to break barriers in women’s ice hockey? Ice hockey players Kimberly Wan and Chloe Low share their hopes for the SEA Games and why more Malaysian youth should give winter sports a shot.
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00:00Music
00:08Music
02:08It's a pleasure having you on the show.
02:10Firstly, I suppose I'm very curious.
02:13Ice hockey as itself, I'm sure you've gotten this a lot.
02:15Ice hockey isn't exactly the most common spot for Malaysians living with our sunny weather.
02:21What drew both of you to ice hockey over the usual sports that we're used to, badminton, basketball?
02:29Was there any specific moment or person that inspired you to start?
02:33Kimberly?
02:34Well, for me, actually, I started skating at a very young age.
02:39I started when I was six years old and I started figure skating at first.
02:43So being at the rink quite consistently, I would say you would train every day.
02:47I started to sort of get connected with people in the community and that's how I got to know about ice hockey.
02:53So my friends actually were like, oh, you know, you can already skate.
02:57Why don't you try playing with a puck?
02:59So over time, I got actually quite interested in the sport and that's how it ignited my passion.
03:04Right, okay.
03:05That's a very interesting start for you.
03:07How about you, Chloe?
03:09Both of my brothers play ice hockey.
03:12So they kind of introduced it to my mom.
03:15Then one day, my mom turned home and was like, since you're not doing anything at home, why not just try out?
03:20Then come and play.
03:21Right, so the sport kind of runs in the family then.
03:24Do you find it easier that since you have both your brothers are also on the ice, do you trade tips with each other at home?
03:33Not really.
03:35It's different, right?
03:36Men's and women's hockey.
03:38How would you then describe the state of ice hockey in Malaysia today?
03:42The commonality of the sport, especially for women?
03:45I would say ice hockey today, the landscape is emerging.
03:50We see that it's brimming with potential.
03:52There are women who want to play and we just need to give enough support.
03:56So I think honestly, if we have sufficient people coming through and being able to participate in more tournaments or learn to skate activities,
04:03we will get more and more people participating.
04:06Right, I'd like to touch a little bit on that support.
04:09But firstly, you know, ice hockey itself, Malaysia, as a country, we actually advocated for the inclusion of a women's tournament in the SEA Games.
04:20And now, you know, we previously didn't have that, even though it was introduced to the SEA Games, I suppose, in 2017, if I'm correct me if I'm wrong.
04:28And now it's finally happening, there is a women's tournament happening in Thailand at the SEA Games in December.
04:35What does this milestone mean for both of you personally and to your team?
04:39I think it's a very huge milestone because it's a chance for us to finally showcase our skills on a bigger stage.
04:50So, yeah, I think the team is very, like, excited about it.
04:57And it's a great representation, right?
04:59Because as we were speaking off-camera just now, we were talking about how ice hockey is a sport that people generally associate only with men,
05:07and the interest is with the men's tournament.
05:09That's right.
05:09People don't quite know about the existence of women's teams as well.
05:12You know, the men made their debut in 2017 in Malaysia, and Malaysia actually won bronze at the time.
05:20Now that it's both of your turn to be on the ice, how are you feeling?
05:26How's the mood?
05:27Are you excited?
05:28Are you nervous?
05:30Personally, I'm really excited.
05:32For me, I have not played at the SEA Games at a level of the SEA Games before.
05:37I've only played in the Challenge Cup of Asia level.
05:41So for me, this feels like a step up, and I'm really excited to go against teams that we've played against
05:45and see how we've fared over the past years, and compete.
05:49Yeah, okay, that's a good way to go into it.
05:51How about you, Chloe?
05:52How are you feeling about being part of being the first female team to represent Malaysia SEA Games?
06:01Kind of excited and nervous.
06:03Excited?
06:07Yeah.
06:08Would you say that's a sentiment among all the team, or are you as a goalie, especially the most enthusiastic about it?
06:15I think the team.
06:17The team as well?
06:18Yeah.
06:18All of you.
06:19And how's preparation going for both of you, both on and off the ice?
06:23Because I'm assuming it's not just what people see on the ice.
06:26You were speaking about hand-eye coordination, and it's all not just practices and scrimmages on the ice, right?
06:33How about what goes off outside of the rink?
06:37So currently, because our on-ice sessions are only once weekly, but we're looking to increase that frequency in the coming months,
06:42so we'll be doing more on-ice sessions, but separately, because the range of players who participate in ice hockey,
06:49especially for the women, is quite wide.
06:51We have players who are in school, you're 16, and then we have players who are adults in the 30s and 40s,
06:56and they have a different sort of schedule and working arrangements.
06:59So we've actually been encouraged to do personal training, to join classes, and basically to take on this other portion of training independently,
07:08so that we can support our training on ice, make sure that we have the strength, we have the conditioning, and we are in good shape.
07:15Right.
07:15How about you, Chloe?
07:16How's the preparation for you?
07:18I mean, how's your preparations for the SEA Games, both on and off the ice?
07:22Because it's not just practice and scrimmages here that people see, right?
07:26Or is there anything you're doing outside, extra sports, physio, that you're taking part of to make sure you're in good shape?
07:34Of course.
07:35Okay.
07:36Right, so there is a lot that goes on off the ice.
07:40I'm sure training, there's tournament fees, physiotherapy, buying your gear, keeping your gear up to date.
07:46It's a huge investment of time, money, and effort, and that's combined with a team that ranges in ages.
07:53People are balancing school, their family, work.
07:55What would both of you say is some of the biggest challenges that your team is facing?
08:01Chloe?
08:01I think right now it's the limited financial resources.
08:07I guess it's impacting our access to training facilities and ice time.
08:13Right.
08:13Is that limited resources that the team is trying to raise?
08:19Or is it, um, individually, it's tough for you to access, like, gear and the sport itself?
08:26Uh, I think both as individuals and as a team.
08:31Mm-hmm.
08:32How about you, Kimberly?
08:33I actually would like to echo the funding scarcity, because logistically, when you think about it, we have the ice rings now, but that doesn't mean that it's accessible to get the ice ring rental times.
08:45So, for example, you might be renting the ice ring for north of over 1,000 ringgit per hour, generally about, say, 900 to 1,005, give or take.
08:55And so, if you don't have the numbers, or if you need more people to contribute, that becomes very expensive.
09:02You're looking at 80 ringgit per hour per training, compared to, like, badminton or pickle nowadays, which is maybe...
09:0810 ringgit per hour?
09:0810 ringgit, 20 ringgit.
09:09So, an 8x increase on a weekly or bi-weekly basis is quite a lot.
09:14So, that's one of the challenges that we face.
09:17Um, I think the other thing would also be visibility.
09:19So, without visibility, we can't raise awareness, um, and we can't then have more people involved in a sport, which ultimately can bring the cost down.
09:28So, those are the areas that I think we really need to work on.
09:31And it's not something a lot of people know, the price to rent a skating ring, and that initially will, that eventually will also impact the amount of times you get to access the ring.
09:42That's right.
09:42How often you practice weekly.
09:43Um, but Kimberly, you also have experience as a referee.
09:48You were speaking about this earlier as well.
09:50How would you say that gives you a different perspective as a player?
09:54Yeah.
09:54Well, I think as a referee, I've been very fortunate to participate in many tournaments internationally.
10:00And most recently, that would be at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.
10:04Right.
10:04And so, what that affords me is the ability to see these players and these teams at a higher level than we are.
10:10We're talking teams like Japan, teams like Korea.
10:13And seeing how they perform, the type of respect they have for the game, it's very different.
10:19And so, when I see how they approach the game, what I take with me is the way that they play and also how they adapt based on the knowledge and the updating of rules that have come through.
10:32So, for example, as a referee, every year we have to update our knowledge on the rules, there are always these minor changes.
10:38Um, and that actually gives me quite a very good distinctive advantage, I think, on ice, um, being able to have that little bit of information in my back pocket.
10:46Yeah.
10:47Yeah.
10:47So, are there any lessons that you've observed from other countries that you've brought back to apply to our national team?
10:54Um, I think that maybe is not so much for me to apply in that way, um, I sort of defer that or leave that to the coach to decide, but what I do bring back, I think, is more leadership and cohesiveness, I hope.
11:09Um, I think if I can demonstrate that I am putting in that effort, that hopefully then others will also do the same, yeah.
12:18I think in recent years as well, figure skating and also hopefully ice hockey is gaining a bit more traction in Malaysia, people are more interested in tuning in to winter games as well.
12:40How do you think we can kind of keep that energy, keep that momentum going to encourage more people, especially girls to take out winter sports?
12:48Um, Chloe, would you like to add to this?
12:50Um, well, I think social media is really commonly used these days.
12:55So I think raising awareness around the media is a factor and maybe also encouraging schools to incorporate these winter sports to boost participation around youth.
13:09Um, okay, yeah, that's actually a really good point to kind of incorporate that into our education syllabus and in that sense, it's an equal level playing field for everyone to gain access to the sport.
13:22How about you?
13:23Um, for me, I think to add on to those two points would be like accessibility and also a safe and fun environment.
13:30So when I say accessibility, I think it is sort of maybe collaborating with the rink operators and saying, Hey, maybe you can create programs that invite people to come at a more affordable rate.
13:42At least we get them and give them a taste of what it's like to skate, to play ice hockey and to learn.
13:48Um, and then on the other part, in terms of fostering a safe, creative and fun environment, I think that's really key.
13:54Having been in sports for over 20 years, it's, um, it's something that's a core to me.
13:59I feel like when I improve, when I meet a goal, when I land an element or a jump or I score a goal, there is a rush and that's something you can't replicate outside.
14:09I think you have to be like competitive.
14:12You have to enjoy sport and it's, uh, something that I think people can really benefit from, especially the youth.
14:17Yeah.
14:18There's a lot of factors that go into it as well in terms of both your personal and professional development.
14:23Definitely.
14:24Um, but then, you know, you spoke about the challenges about funding and access to ice skating rings.
14:31What kind of support then do you, would you like to see to kind of help more aspiring athletes like yourselves, um, in, in these kind of winter sports?
14:41Yeah.
14:42Um, Emily, you want to start first?
14:44Sure. Um, I think the core theme that we really centralize on is really financial support.
14:50Um, and I think that can't be understated.
14:52So I have spoken to some friends, they're in the men's say men's team and the women's team and they want to pursue ice hockey as a full time career, but it really comes down to, is there a way or possibly for them to get a livable wage that will enable them to pursue this full time.
15:09Yeah.
15:10And so I think if there is that kind of support, um, be it from organizations, corporates, government, even that can hone these players and give them this opportunity, then I think we will really get somewhere.
15:22Right.
15:23I think that helps.
15:24It's a community, community effort, right?
15:27Definitely.
15:28That's coming from the players, yourself, from the ice skating, the rink manager to kind of promote these programs for visibility and then, you know, trickling down to lawmakers.
15:38Yep.
15:39How about you, Chloe?
15:40Are there any, is there any kind of particular support that you'd like to see, um, for your team as you guys continue to work towards, um, representing the country?
15:48Maybe facilities or maybe funding or exposure?
15:52Um, yeah, I think funding and facility.
15:57Funding and facilities.
15:58Yeah.
15:59That's the, that's the topic that we really keep coming back to, right?
16:02Yeah.
16:03Um, and also the fact that I think it's, um, what we were also speaking earlier off camera,
16:08was the fact that our ice skating rings are a lot smaller than what you play in an international stage.
16:15Correct.
16:16What's that like for you with your training?
16:17Is it a challenge, especially when you go for international tournaments?
16:20Oh, we?
16:21I think that for me as a goalie, the time to react is, like, here is much more, like, shorter compared to, like, a bigger ice skating.
16:30Hmm, yeah.
16:31So would you say you have an advantage then over here because your reflexes are a little faster with a smaller ring?
16:37Uh, I guess.
16:38Yeah.
16:39And how about you, Kimberly? Is it a stamina game when it comes to international games?
16:46Yes.
16:47100% stamina.
16:48I think what we often see is the difference in pace, but also in the time of each period.
16:55So for context, when we play in the league, we play three periods of 17 minutes running time.
17:03And so this gives people the opportunity to take a breather and start again.
17:08Yep.
17:09Whereas overseas, in the international tournaments, it's 20 minutes per period and it's stop time.
17:13Right.
17:14So every time the puck stops, every time there's a goal or a face-off, time is stopping and standing still.
17:20So definitely the stamina element's really big and oftentimes that's where the teams get tired.
17:27So if you play five games over five, six days, it's very easy to see where you would stand.
17:33So that's something we have to work on for sure.
17:35And that's very strainers on the body as well.
17:37Yeah.
17:38Um, so then besides the sea games, which I'm sure everyone is looking forward to.
17:43Yeah.
17:44Um, and hopefully to have see both of you there.
17:46But besides the sea games, what's next for the women's ice hockey team?
17:50Are there any other big tournaments or big goals on the horizon?
17:54So I think actually in the, in two years, there will be the sea games held in Malaysia.
18:00And so that would probably be the next big goal.
18:03The team is actually, I think Chloe's actually flying off to Abu Dhabi in four weeks, I would say, about there,
18:10to participate in the national team in a tournament as well.
18:14So that's the sort of first leg before the sea games.
18:18And until then, I think the team does us to improve and hopefully, you know, have a very good showing in 2027.
18:24Yeah. Yeah.
18:25There's still time for you to prepare a lot more tournaments to take part in.
18:29That's right. Yeah.
18:30And I guess before we close off with the show, if there's one thing the both of you would want Malaysians to understand a little bit more about women's ice hockey, what would it be? Chloe?
18:43Shall we?
18:46One thing you wish people watching this would want to take away from the interview?
18:53Fun.
18:55Fun.
18:56That ice hockey is fun to play and that they shouldn't be intimidated by it?
19:00No.
19:01Yeah, yeah.
19:02And you, Kimberly?
19:04I think...
19:05That's a good question. I have to think about this a little bit.
19:09I think it depends, right? Like, if it's the youth, I really hope that they look at this sport and give it consideration.
19:17Because we have a lot of people playing pickle and a lot of people playing badminton.
19:20Oh, yeah. And that's picked up really rapidly in the past year. Pickleball especially.
19:24It has.
19:25It has really picked up. And I think with ice hockey, we're quite unique.
19:28Because you have to be on ice and it's a different environment.
19:31So I just really hope that they see it as something different and try to pursue it.
19:36And for those who are older than youth, just to come and support.
19:41Yes, anyone just come and support and maybe tell their friends and family.
19:46Yeah, yeah.
19:47Who knows, someone in the family might be interested to join or give it a try on ice.
19:51Thank you so much to both of you for sharing your insights and taking time off practice to speak to me.
19:57I've been speaking to Kimberly Wan and Ke Willow from the Women's Ice Hockey team.
20:03This has been It's About Youth with me, Fei Kwan.
20:05Thank you for watching and goodnight.
20:21All right.
20:47Bye-bye, bye-bye.
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