PH curlers bag 1st Asian Winter Games gold medal

The Philippines on Friday bagged a historic and unlikely gold medal by stunning South Korea 5-3 in men’s curling at the Asian Winter Games in China’s Harbin.

The team and about two dozen supporters erupted in cheers after winning the tropical country’s first medal in the 39-year history of the Games.

“We wanted to go for a medal, but the gold medal, this is overwhelming,” said Alan Frei, a member of the victorious team also composed of Marc Pfister and brother Enrico, Christian Haller and Benjo Delarmente.

“It feels so surreal, so unbelievable, doesn’t it?”

With the gold, the Philippines is now the best-performing Southeast Asian team in the 34-nation competition, with Thailand clinching one bronze through Thai-Frenchman Paul Vieuxtemps in men’s slopestyle of freestyle skiing.

Curling involves two teams of four players each who slide granite stones across an ice rink toward a target area. A distinctive part of the game is the use of a brush to sweep the ice in front of the sliding stone to provide a path.

Curling earned the nickname “the roaring game” in the Olympics, owing to the rumbling sound the granite stones make when they travel across the ice.

The Philippine heroes upset China 7-6 in the semi-finals a day earlier, guaranteeing them a spot atop the podium one year before the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

The South Koreans were after their third Winter Asiad gold in men’s curling—winning previous editions in 2003 and 2007—along with exemption from mandatory military service awarded to Asian Games champions from their country.

But just two years after the launch of the Philippines’ curling federation, the men’s team—who were all born in Switzerland to Filipino mothers—won a place in the folklore of the archipelago.

They have already secured a place at the 2026 Olympic pre-qualifiers later this year in Milan-Cortina.

“This is too good to be true,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. “Shocking, that’s the least I can say.”

He added: “Now, the path is clearer toward our first medal in the Winter Olympics.”

Equally elated was chairman Richard Bachmann of the Philippine Sports Commission, which bankrolled the participation of the 20-athlete contingent in the Winter Asiad.

“The historic victory of the country in the men’s curling marks a significant milestone in the growing dynamics of the Philippine sports. This inspires the entire nation,” said Bachmann in a statement.

“More than just a milestone, it is the result of strong collaboration between the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission who have worked tirelessly in the country within a much-deserved spotlight on the Winter Games.”

The Philippine team’s journey has drawn comparisons to the iconic Jamaican bobsleigh team, whose story was immortalized in the film “Cool Runnings.”

The Philippines has been participating in the Winter Games since the 1990 tournament in Sapporo, Japan with lone Filipino participant Michael Teruel in the men’s slalom.

Since then, Filipino athletes have participated in various events, including figure skating, ice hockey, short track speed skating, snowboarding and Alpine Skiing.

Under Republic Act No. 10699, athletes who win gold at Asian Games will get P2 million.

Frei, who only took up curling in 2023, acknowledged the “absolutely wild” nature of their accomplishment.

“We were also lucky, and maybe we wanted it a bit more.”

Despite the euphoria of this historic win, Frei tempered expectations regarding Olympic qualification.

He said victory, while monumental, is just one step in a longer journey.

“It’s day one again,” he said. “Back to the beginning. Back to the gym.” With AFP

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “‘Absolutely wild’: Philippine curlers win historic Asian Games gold.”