Marc Pfister competes for the Philippines in the finals of the men's curling at the Asian Winter Games. - AP
HARBIN: The Philippines curling team has been rocking it in Harbin, claiming the tropical country’s first Asian Winter Games medal with a victory in Friday’s (Feb 14) men’s final against South Korea.
The team of Marc Angelo Pfister, Alan Beat Frei, Christian Patrick Haller, Enrico Gabriel Pfister and alternate Benjo Delarmente took gold with a 5-3 win at Harbin Pingfang Curling Arena.
The Philippines Olympic Committee was quick to celebrate with a post on Instagram to mark the historic gold.
"This is the first-ever medal for the Philippines at the Asian Winter Games, and the highest achievement for a South-East Asian athlete in the Games’ history! What an incredible accomplishment!” the post said. "You’ve made the entire country so proud!”
The Philippines was accepted a member association of the World Curling Federation in September, 2023 - along with Pakistan and Puerto Rico - and started a bid to qualify for the 2026 Olympics.
The men's team is based in Switzerland and skipped by Marc Pfister, who represented the Swiss at three world championships before switching countries.
He and his brother, Enrico Pfister, are among the four curlers who were born in Switzerland and are eligible to play for the Philippines through their Filipino mothers. - AP
