PH men’s curling team eyes bigger future for sport after historic Asian Winter Games gold

"Curling is made for Filipinos.”

These are the words of Alan Frei, a key member of the Philippine men’s curling team, after delivering the country’s first-ever gold medal in the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China following a thrilling 5-3 victory over South Korea.

Fueled by cheers from Filipino fans in the stands, the Philippine team stunned the competition and made history, marking the country's first-ever podium finish in the Asian Winter Games.

“It feels absolutely amazing, and it kinda feels surreal,” Frei shared in an exclusive interview with News5's Ian Suyu. “We always had a goal to win a medal—we thought we could get bronze. But today, we had a big game against China, and we were going for gold. It feels amazing.”

The road to gold was anything but easy for the Filipino squad composed of Frei, Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller, and Benjo Delarmente.

The Philippines had to battle Japan in the qualification round before edging out China in a nail-biting 7-6 semifinal win.

Coach Miggy Gutierrez emphasized the importance of teamwork in achieving this historic feat.

“It feels incredible to represent the Philippines and make history. It feels special that this team bonded and worked together, and everything paid off with today’s result,” Gutierrez bared.

Though curling is a winter sport, Frei believes Filipinos have a natural talent for it, drawing comparisons to other precision-based games.

Curling is a winter game where teams slide heavy granite stones across the ice toward a target, requiring a mix of precision, strategy, and teamwork.

“Filipinos are good at darts, billiards, pool, and bowling. It has a lot of strategy and accuracy—it’s a great sport for Filipinos,” Frei pointed out.

With the gold medal secured, the national team is now preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

(With reports from Ian Suyu, News5)