The Philippine men’s curling team is set to arrive in Manila on Saturday night, February 15, after making history by securing the country’s first-ever gold medal at the 9th Asian Winter Games.
A Grand Welcome for the Champions
The gold medal-winning team will land at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 10:30 PM, where they will be greeted by:
- Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann
- PSC Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo
- Executive Director Paulo Francisco Tatad
![PH Men's Curling Team proudly claimed their hard-earned gold medal during the awarding rites of the Men's Curling event in the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin China. [Photo credit: Philippine Sports Commission]](http://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/479547259_1046689964160880_6597083157050006270_n.jpg)
The national squad returning from Harbin, China includes:
- Marc Angelo Pfister
- Enrico Gabriel Pfister
- Christian Patrick Haller
- Alan Beat Frei
- Benjo Delarmente (President, Curling Winter Sports Association of the Philippines)
- Team officials Jessica Sarah Pfister and Miguel Gutierrez
Also arriving with the team are:
- Harbin 2025 Chef de Mission Richard Lim
- Assistant Chef de Mission Paolo Tancontian
- Curling Pilipinas Secretary-General Jarryd Bello
A Milestone for Philippine Sports
The men’s curling team’s victory is a major breakthrough for the Philippines in winter sports. Curling was only officially recognized by World Curling three years ago, yet the team has already:
- Become the first Southeast Asian nation to win gold at the Asian Winter Games.
- Established itself as a rising force in the Asian curling scene.
- Placed the Philippines in the top five in the overall medal rankings.
“The historic victory of the country in men’s curling marks a significant milestone in the growing dynamics of Philippine sports,” said PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann.
He credited the strong collaboration between the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and PSC for making this success possible.
Eyes on the Winter Olympics and World Cup
Following their gold medal win, the team is now preparing for higher-level international competitions, including:
- Pan-Continental Curling Championships Division A (November 2025) – A qualifier for the World Curling Championships.
- Two Winter Olympics pre-qualifying tournaments (October & December 2025) – The team aims to secure a spot at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
“We strongly believe that this achievement is just the beginning of our historic rise on ice for the Philippines,” said Chairman Bachmann. “Our performance at the Asian Winter Games lays the foundation for achieving Winter Olympic and World-level success in the years to come.”
Philippines Among Top Performers in Harbin
The gold medal victory propelled the Philippines to a shared fifth-place finish in the final medal standings, tied with Uzbekistan, which won gold in figure skating.
The top three nations at the Asian Winter Games were:
- China (host country)
- South Korea
- Japan
The Philippines now stands as the best-performing Southeast Asian nation in the tournament’s history.
What’s Next for Team Philippines?
With the Pan-Continental Championships and Olympic qualifiers on the horizon, the Philippine men’s curling team is determined to continue its success on the ice.
As the first Filipino team to win gold in a major winter sports event, their journey is just beginning, and their Olympic dream is now within reach.
