From Tropical Heat to Olympic Ice: The Philippines' Unlikely Curling Bid for Milano Cortina 2026
A unique and ambitious Olympic journey is unfolding, with four Filipino-Swiss curlers aiming to make history by qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina 2026. While the Philippines has participated in past Winter Games—most recently with an alpine skier at Beijing 2022—the country has never before secured a spot in a team event. That’s all about to change, thanks to the determination of Enrico Pfister, Marco Pfister, Christian Haller, and Alan Frei.
The four curlers, united by their Filipino heritage, have set their sights on competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, and their dream is quickly taking shape. As the team’s lead, Alan Frei, shared in an interview with the Manila Bulletin, "Our goal is to compete for the Philippines in the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milan, Cortina. That's our main goal."
The road to this ambitious Olympic goal began in 2023 when Frei, a Switzerland-based businessman, took up curling after a personal weight loss transformation sparked his interest in sports. Initially, Frei considered pursuing cross-country skiing as a means to fulfill his Olympic ambitions, but he quickly realized he wasn’t a natural on the slopes. “I started skiing and shared my Olympic ambitions with everyone. Only to find out that I was a terrible skier,” Frei humorously admitted in a blog about his journey.
Frei’s Olympic dream took a new direction when Christian Haller, a Swiss junior world curling medallist, reached out after hearing about Frei's ambition. Haller, along with the Pfister brothers—Enrico and Marco—had already been discussing the possibility of forming a Philippine curling team. With their combined experience competing in numerous World Championships for Switzerland, the group quickly saw the potential in Frei's vision. Just a few months later, they gathered to practice together for the first time.
Their synergy and commitment paid off. By the fall of 2023, the team was officially registered with the Curling Winter Sports Association of the Philippines and the World Curling Federation. Their first major international competition came that October at the Pan Continental Curling Championships (PCCC) in Kelowna, Canada. Despite being newcomers, Team Philippines held their ground, making it all the way to the final before falling 4-8 to China. While the loss prevented them from advancing to the A-Division, it marked an impressive debut for the team on the global stage.
Building on this momentum, Team Philippines returned to the PCCC in 2024 with an even stronger drive. The key to their qualification lay in securing promotion to the A-Division, and this time, they achieved their goal. The team fought their way through the tournament, culminating in a victory over Kazakhstan in the final, finishing with an undefeated record.
That victory secured their spot in the next crucial stage of Olympic qualification: the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament, set for 2025. To keep their dream alive, the team will need to finish in the top three at this event to progress to the next round of qualifiers.
With several more international events on their calendar, including the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, and possibly the Baden Masters in Switzerland, Team Philippines is fully committed to continuing their progress. Their journey is a remarkable one, and the curling world will be watching closely as they strive to make history and earn a place at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Their story is not only one of athletic ambition but of perseverance and national pride. If they succeed, they will not only be the first curling team to represent the Philippines at the Winter Olympics but will also inspire athletes from nations with no winter sports tradition to chase their own Olympic dreams.
