NEARING the commencement of the 2025 Asian Winter Games, happening on February 7 to 14 in the winter resort city of Harbin, China, the Philippines is set to send 20 Filipino athletes to compete in six of the 11 sports on the Harbin program. 

Summer Olympic Success Boosts Winter Olympic Dreams

     With its recent successes in the Summer Olympics, the Philippines aspires to claim its first-ever Winter Olympics medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, and one way to do it is to excel at the 2025 Winter Asian Games. “We’ve already accomplished the dream in the Summer Olympics—three gold medals in consecutive games,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino. “And that dream we want to also achieve in the Winter Olympics,” he added.

     The Curling Winter Sports Association of the Philippines (CWSAP),  also known as Curling Pilipinas, will be represented by 10 athletes from its team at the 2025 Winter Asian Games. The team includes Marc Angelo Pfister, Enrico Gabriel Pfister, Christian Patrick Haller, Alan Beat Frei, Jessica Pfister, Benjo Delarmente, Kathleen Dubberstein, Leilani Dubberstein, Sheila Mariano, and Anne Marie Bonache. 

     The Philippine Skating Union (PhSU) will also send figure skaters to the Asian Winter Games, featuring Paolo Borromeo, Sofia Frank, Cathryn Limketkai, Isabella Gamez, and recently naturalized Aleksandr Korovin. On the other hand, Peter Groseclose will participate in short-track speed skating.  

     Lastly, The Philippine Ski and Snowboarding Association (PSSF) will send Adrian Tongco for snowboarding, Laetaz Amihan Rabe for freestyle skiing, and Francis Ceccarelli and Talullah Proulx for alpine skiing. Tolentino believes the Harbin delegation is the biggest yet, although exact details regarding the number of Filipino competitors who participated in the last eight Asian Winter Games are lacking.

     “The Winter Olympics are just as challenging as the Summer Olympics, but we’ve proven that success is possible,” Tolentino states. Inspired by recent Philippines’ historic achievements under his leadership—Hidilyn Diaz’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women's 55 kg weightlifting category at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Carlos Yulo’s two gold medals in men’s artistic gymnastics category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he hopes to bring home Philippines' first Winter Olympics medal this year. 

Breaking Barriers in a Tropical Country

     Living in a tropical country, the limited training avenues for winter sports are truly one of the challenges these athletes face. Despite the odds, these athletes continuously prove that Filipino resiliency will always overcome every circumstance they face. Last year, the Philippine Curling Team had its victory in the Pan Continental Curling Championship 2024 B-Division tournament. The POC’s commitment to developing winter sports has been evident through programs that empower and provide athletes with more exposure to live up to international standards, such as the upcoming 2025 Winter Asian Games, as they gear up for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. 

     While winter sports may be unusual for a tropical country like the Philippines, supporting these athletes is essential as they bring pride and inspiration to the whole country.