Two Filipino athletes who won bronze at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games visited the Philippine Embassy in Italy on Feb. 6, continuing to raise the profile of Philippine hockey in Europe.
Italy-based Hockey 5s players Agostino Teofilo Alfieri and 16-year-old Clayton John Opeña Lanting paid a courtesy call to Philippine Ambassador Nathaniel Imperial following their stint at the SEA Games in Bangkok, Thailand, last December.
Alfieri, a 28-year-old Italian-Filipino field hockey player and coach, is a two-time SEA Games athlete and served as captain of the Philippine National Team in Hockey 5s and the Indoor national squad during the recently concluded Games.
Born and raised in Italy, he balances elite-level sport with a demanding professional career as a production engineer in the aerospace industry in Turin. A former captain of HCU Rassemblement Torino from 2021 to 2024 and a long-time player of CUS Torino, Alfieri has steadily climbed the ranks of Italian hockey, competing across outdoor and indoor leagues from Serie B to Serie A1 and A2, earning promotions, podium finishes, and recognition as Best Sportsman of the City of Moncalieri.
Alongside him stood 16-year-old Clayton Lanting, one of the youngest bronze medalists in Hockey 5s at the SEA Games, whose journey reflects the rising generation of Filipino athletes nurtured in Europe. Clayton is a third-year high school student at Liceo Scientifico Statale Augusto Righi in Rome, aspiring to study medicine and become a doctor while pursuing his passion for sport.
He was introduced to hockey in 2017 through his elder brother Kyle, a former 2019 SEA Games national athlete. Balancing academics, training, and competition, he has earned multiple national placements in Italy, including podium finishes in the 2025 Italian National Cup and 5th place in Serie A Élite, culminating in his historic bronze medal at the SEA Games.
During the courtesy call, Ambassador Imperial praised both athletes for their perseverance and for proudly representing the Philippines on the international stage, emphasizing that sport—particularly hockey, a growing discipline for Filipinos—is a powerful tool for connection, integration, and inspiration.
He thanked the parents, coaches, and Italian sports community for their guidance and support, recognizing the vital role they play in shaping disciplined, values-driven athletes abroad.
Also present at the call were Cultural Attaché Ms. Mamhot, Mr. and Mrs. Lanting, Società Lazio President Roberto Brocco, Giada Zanti and coach Riccardo Bracca, underscoring the strong collaboration between Filipino families, Italian institutions, and the sporting community. -Alona Cochon
