Confident curling squad gets PSC promise for OQE journey funding
Even before the Philippine men’s curling team struck a historic gold medal in the just-concluded Asian Winter Games, Benjo Delarmente had already surveyed the terrain of the pre-Olympic qualifying event that will lead to the 2026 Winter Olympics and liked what he saw.
“By just looking at the roster of the other countries, I’m pretty confident that we will win in the pre-Olympic qualification,’’ Delarmente told the Inquirer.
Landing in the top 3 of the Pre-Olympic Qualifying meet from Oct. 17 to Oct. 24 will entitle the quintet of the Filipino-Swiss siblings Marc and Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller and Alan Frei along with Delarmente a spot in the Olympic Qualification Event (OQE) on Dec. 6 to Dec. 13.
The OQE is the final window to the Winter Olympiad, where the top two finishers will book spots in the Games to be hosted by Milano-Cortina, Italy exactly a year from now.
“I’m certain our players will fight for it just like they did in Harbin,’’ said Delarmente, the Curling Pilipinas president who was an alternate on the men’s team that stunned world No. 7 South Korea for the gold in the winter Asiad in China last week.
Funding will be crucial to this rare bid to achieve a near-impossible feat for a tropical country in the Winter Olympics.
“They are paying their own expenses every time, and it’s not a joke,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino. “So we really need that financial support.’’
P2 million incentive
The POC chief hosted the team in Tagaytay City along with Marc Pfister’s 16-week pregnant wife Jessica, who acted as their coach and is eyeing naturalization to compete for the Philippine women’s curling squad.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann and PSC Commissioner Bong Coo fetched the gold-winning curlers from the airport on Saturday night and vowed support in their journey to the Milano-Cortina Games.
“They definitely have our support,” Bachmann declared. “Our remarkable performance at the Asian Winter Games lays the foundation for the greater challenge of achieving Winter Olympic and world-level success in the year to come.’’
According to Tolentino, the PH curling team is entitled to a cash incentive amounting to P2 million from the government based on Republic Act 10699 for their accomplishments.
“If we meet the President, we will make a [funding] request to support their journey to the Winter Olympic Games,’’ said Tolentino, who will also make a pitch for athletes in other winter games.
The Philippines ranked 51st in the world, will fight for at least a third-place performance in the pre-Olympic qualifying against higher-ranked countries such as Norway, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Austria, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, South Korea, China and Japan.
Awaiting these nations in the OQE are Sweden, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, the United States and Switzerland. Only 10 quotas are available in the Milano-Cortina Games with Italy already assured of a ticket as Winter Olympics host.
