PH men’s floorball team drop opener against Latvia in 2025 World Games 

The Philippine men’s national floorball team kicked off its campaign in the 2025 Chengdu World Games with a tough 12-2 loss to Latvia on Thursday at the Xindu Xiangcheng Sports Centre.

The result echoed their meeting at last year’s World Championships, where the Filipinos fell 14-3. However, this time around, the Nationals showed noticeable improvement, especially on the defensive end, against the world’s fourth-ranked squad.

“We knew it was going to be really tough,” said head coach Noel Alm Johansson. “I’m still very proud of the team and that they fought the whole time. We scored two great goals, and with a little more luck, we could have added a few more. We did our best against one of the top teams in the world.”

The Philippines came out with grit and determination, holding Latvia to just two goals in the opening period. Simon Sicat Laraño provided a highlight for the squad, finding the back of the net with under a minute left in the first frame to cut the deficit in half.

WATCH: The Philippine men’s national floorball team kicked off their World Games journey with a 12–2 loss to world No. 4 Latvia in Chengdu, China. Compared to last year’s 14–3 loss, this was a step forward—with tighter defense and two solid goals from Simon Sicat Laraño and… pic.twitter.com/EL9o6uHLsg

— BusinessMirror (@BusinessMirror) August 7, 2025

But the tide turned quickly. Latvia dominated the second and third periods, scoring seven unanswered goals. Daniels Anis led the Latvian charge with four goals, while Gustavs Griezitis added two more in the second period. Team captain Peteris Treksen also got on the scoreboard, stretching their lead to 9-1.

Midway through the final period, the Philippines found a spark as Abrian Mendoza netted their second goal off a precise assist from Laraño, making it 9-2.

However, the Latvians weren’t done yet. They closed the match strong with three more goals to seal their first victory of the tournament in commanding fashion.

“Overall, we had some chances, which is encouraging,” said assistant coach Noel Mendoza. “But facing a strong team like Latvia is an entirely different challenge.”

Looking ahead, the Philippines faces an even steeper hill to climb in Group A. They’re set to take on world No. 1 and defending champions Sweden on Saturday, followed by world No. 5 Switzerland on Sunday.

Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals.

As it stands, the Philippines is at the bottom of Group A with an 0-1 record. Latvia improves to 1-1, while Switzerland currently sits undefeated with one win.

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