AS PROMISED, the members of the Philippine men’s curling team, who brought pride and honor to the country by winning their first gold medal at the 9th Asian Winter Games, have already received their rewards. 

After achieving a historic feat, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) distributed monetary rewards to the entire team before they left for Switzerland on Monday. 

The POC Executive Board awarded each team member a well-deserved $5,000 bonus. If converted to the country’s currency, each player would receive about 300,000 pesos in cash.

Token of Appreciation

Nonetheless, POC emphasized the significance of honoring these players. It may not appear to be in proportion to the effort and sacrifices made by these curlers over their Asian Games cycle, but it is nevertheless necessary to present them with flowers.

“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 POC President Abraham Tolentino.

The POC recognized Marc Pfister, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister, Alen Frei, alternate and Curling Pilipinas president Benjo Delarmente, and Pfister’s wife Jessica after they landed in Harbin.

Inspiring the Next Generation

During a media briefing conducted in Tagaytay a few days ago, team members revealed some of their most memorable memories from the event. In most cases, it was about the goal of their actions rather than the outcome.

“This movement grew as we are sitting here as first South East Asian country with the gold medal in Asia Winter Games which is absolutely incredible,” said Frei.

“For us, as a team, our job is to create success because success is building bridges for the next generation. We won’t stop here,” he went on to explain.

A Worthwhile Experience

Before formally competing under the country’s colors as a full-fledged member of the POC, the Swiss-based squad made significant investments in international events.

“It’s no joke, funding your own participation in international events, specifically a blue-chip sport like curling,” Tolentino said.

Given the squad’s achievement, Tolentino stated that the team, along with all other winter sports competitors, should expect the committee to take steps to help them 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.

Meanwhile, the team believes that their triumph would raise awareness of curling in the Philippines, despite it being traditionally known in winter countries such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea.