History has been made. The Philippines curling team has won its first-ever gold at the Asian Winter Games, marking a breakthrough for the country.
The men’s curling team—composed of Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, and Benjo Delarmente—defeated South Korea, 5-3, in the championship match on Friday. The victory also secured the best finish for any Southeast Asian athlete in the Games.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino was overwhelmed with emotions after the win.
“This is too good to be true,” he said. “Shocking, that’s the least I can say. Now, the path is clearer toward our first medal in the Winter Olympics.”
A Historic Moment for Southeast Asia
No athlete from Southeast Asia had ever reached the top of the podium in the Asian Winter Games—until now.
Aside from the Philippines’ historic gold, Thailand secured one bronze, courtesy of Thai-Frenchman Paul Vieuxtemps in men’s slopestyle of freestyle skiing.
Tolentino sees this achievement as the start of something bigger.
“I always believe the impossible can be achieved,” he said. “We did it in Tokyo and Paris, and it may not come in Italy next year, but we’re on the right track.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milano Cortina. With this victory, the Philippines has already secured a place in the Olympic pre-qualifiers happening later this year.
A Comeback Victory Against South Korea
The gold didn’t come easy. The Philippine curling team had already lost to South Korea, 1-6, earlier in the tournament. But in the finals, they turned things around.
The Filipinos started strong, taking an early 3-1 lead. But the South Koreans fought back and tied the game, 3-3.
Under pressure, the Filipino team stayed focused. They took the lead once more, 4-3, and never looked back. South Korea had chances to score, but the Filipinos shut them down.
When the final round ended, it was clear. The Philippines had won gold.
A Night of Close Calls
Just a night before, the Philippine curlers faced host country China in the semifinals. It was a tense match, but they edged out the Chinese, 7-6, to reach the finals.
Earlier in the tournament, they also delivered a dominant 10-4 victory over Japan to qualify for the semis.
Alan Frei admitted that the team did not expect to win gold.
“We wanted to go for a medal, but gold? This is overwhelming,” he said. “This is so weird, isn’t it?”
But even as they celebrate, Frei says the team is already looking ahead.
“We were also lucky, and maybe we wanted it a bit more,” he said. “It’s day one again. Back to the beginning. Back to the gym.”
What’s Next for the Team?
With this Asian Winter Games gold, the Philippine curling team will now focus on qualifying for the Winter Olympics. The pre-qualifiers later this year will determine if they get a shot at competing in Milano Cortina 2026.
Tolentino believes the team has what it takes.
“Winning gold here is huge,” he said. “If we keep pushing, I believe we’ll see a Filipino athlete on the Winter Olympic podium someday.”
For now, the team is celebrating a well-earned victory. But soon, training resumes. They’ve made history—but they’re not done yet.
