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Curling Pilipinas eyes to make it to the Winter Olympics, one step at a time
Sending a delegate to the Winter Olympics is not new for a tropical country like the Philippines.
The country has competed in six editions of the Winter Games already, and another sport is eyeing to send its team to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games.
Meet Curling Pilipinas.
The team, composed of Filipinos residing in the United States, Canada, and Switzerland, joined together to represent the Philippines in the Pan-Continental Curling Championship last month where they swept Division B and was eventually promoted to Division A.
The victory for them was an important one, especially for a team who dreams big for the sport.
"It's very important para sa Curling Pilipinas because it keeps the Olympic dream alive," said Curling Winter Sports Association of the Philippines president Benjo Delarmente.
According to him, the squad's promotion to Division A of the Pan-Continental Curling Championship will allow them to get an invite for the Olympic pre-qualification event in September 2025, and those who will make it to the top three will proceed to the Olympic qualifiers proper.
Delarmente is aware that the road may be long and tough for the team, but he believes the Philippines will always have a chance to make it, if not for 2026, then for the following editions of the Winter Games.
"One thing with curling, kapag nag-start ka na mag-curl, people would sometimes say anything can happen in curling. We never know. Small but non-zero," he said.
"Small steps first."
More than the Olympic bid, what's more important for Delarmente is the exposure of the sports to Filipinos here and abroad.
"Ang dream namin talaga is to set up a curling facility in the Philippines," he said.
"Dahil ang curling nga, tingin ko is a sport that Filipinos will really love. And parang combination siya ng bowling, billiards, chess, holland, at saka darts. So mga-mga bagay na mahilig ang mga Pilipino."
In addition, Filipinos abroad could also find a new community with curling and it gives athletes a chance as well to represent the country as well.
"Alam natin sa mga diasporic communities, malakas 'yung sense of Pinoy pride and similar feelings. So I think that's another thing that we give. It also gives them parang a sense of being Filipino, kasi alam natin sa diaspora, maraming sentiments na feeling nila kapag nasa Pilipinas sila, they're not Filipino enough. Pero kapag nandito sila or nasa Canada sila, they're not Canadian enough or they're not American enough," Delarmente said.
"Parang for our diaspora, it really allows the diasporic athletes to really embrace that side of their identity."
—GMA Integrated News
