The Philippine men's curling team gets a sweetened pot from the Philippine Olympic Committee after winning gold in the Asian Winter Games.
The Philippine men’s curling team is set to be rewarded by the Philippine Olympic Committee for their gold medal-winning performance in the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin.
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino met the team, headlined by Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller, and Benjo Delarmente in a pre-flight lunch at the New World Hotel in Makati City on Monday before they returned to Switzerland.
[RELATED: Philippines makes history with first Asian Winter Games gold in curling]
The Swiss-Filipino curlers each received USD 5,000 as an incentive courtesy of the POC Executive Board.
“The incentive may not parallel their effort and dedication—and even the expenses they personally incurred—but it’s one small way for the POC to show its gratitude to the team,” said Tolentino.
The sports executive acknowledged the team’s efforts, which also came even before the gold medal campaign in China. That is, the team funded their own participation in events before becoming a fully-recognized member of the POC.
“It’s no joke funding your own participation in international events specifically a blue-chip sport like curling,” Tolentino said.
Seeing the promise of the team as early as now, the POC also said that they are taking “serious steps” with the team — and other winter sports athletes — in a bid to qualify for next year’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
“The path to Milano Cortina has become clearer, and on to our goal of a first Winter Olympics medal,” Tolentino said.