The Philippine curling team moved a step closer to history after going unbeaten in a pre-Olympic qualification tournament at Curl Aberdeen in Scotland over the weekend. The performance placed the squad on the brink of clinching a berth in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The 2025 Asian Winter Games gold medal-winning squad composed of Marc Pfister, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister, Brayden Carpenter, and alternate Alan Frei swept their matches to book a place in the Olympic Qualification Event set from December 6 to 19 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

The top two finishers in Kelowna will secure the last Olympic spots for the men’s curling competition in February.

Unbeaten in Aberdeen

Led by skip Marc Pfister, the Filipinos defeated Denmark (7-4), Chinese Taipei (10-0), New Zealand (6-5), Australia (9-4 in seven ends), and Poland (7-2) to complete their unbeaten run in Scotland.

“We’re so happy to announce that our Philippine men’s curling team is just a doorstep away from making it to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

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The same lineup made history in February when it edged South Korea, 5-3, to win the men’s gold medal at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin — the first-ever winter sports gold for the Philippines.

Support builds for historic Olympic bid

“They performed really well in Scotland and we are proud of them. We expect them to advance, and we are calling the entire nation for support and prayers,” Tolentino added. “We are also hoping that the PSC [Philippine Sports Commission] support their campaign.”

Ten countries—five men’s teams and five women’s squads—along with host Italy will complete the curling field for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Men’s teams from Czechia, Poland, and New Zealand, and Germany and Australia’s women’s teams also qualified for the Kelowna event.