Curl Runnings! Philippines hoping to sweep into Winter Olympics

The other three members — electrician Enrico Pfister, his brother and construction worker Marc Pfister and banker Christian Haller — have previously competed for Switzerland at world championships.

A few years ago the trio decided to form a Philippines team, but needed a fourth member.

They contacted rookie curler Frei, 42, who had made it his life goal to become an Olympian, and had only taken up the sport after realizing he had "zero talent" for skiing.

By October 2023, they were competing — and the rest could be history.

Perfect sport for Filipinos

With temperatures in host city Harbin struggling to get above freezing, it is a far cry from the Philippines, where the mercury regularly hits 30 Celsius at this time of year.

The Philippines first sent athletes to the Winter Olympics in 1972, but sent a lone skier to the last Games in Beijing in 2022. They have never qualified anyone for a team event.

Delarmente wants to elevate curling in the Philippines, and find more talent from people of Filipino heritage around the world.

Curling is the "perfect" sport for Filipinos, he said, likening it to a combination of billiards, lawn bowls and chess on ice.

"We already have some followers in the Philippines watching our games and messaging us: 'How do we learn curling?'" Delarmente said.

"So, we're getting there.

"People are getting to know more and more about curling in the Philippines, especially (now) that we've had so much success."

Curling fan Jojo Cruz, who grew up in the Philippines, but now lives in the United States, booked a trip to Harbin.

"I still can't believe that tropical countries have the opportunity to participate in winter or snow sports", Cruz told reporters.

Cruz has lived in the US for about four decades, but said he still feels like a foreigner there at times, holding on to his roots in the Philippines.

"I still have that connection, and I don't want to lose that", said Cruz.

But, the 61-year-old, who curled for the Philippines at a senior world championship last year, failed to get tickets for the curling competitions.

Despite that, he was happy that the team was competing and said he was enjoying seeing different parts of the frigid city with his wife.

"I told myself, hey, this is a beautiful place. Harbin is nice. It's so cold, but it's fine."

AFP