Members of the Philippine national men’s curling team are set to receive a hefty reward after their breakthrough gold medal finish in the Asian Winter Games on Friday at Harbin Pingfang Curling Arena in China.
Under Republic Act 10699 or the Sports Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001, the Filipino curlers are set to receive 25 percent each of the total prize money that has been earmarked.
Since the total prize pot for a gold medalist in the Winter Asian is set at P2 million, Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Alan Frei, Christian Haller and Benjo Delarmente are poised to receive P500,000 each for their efforts.
The Filipino curlers were expected to land in Manila on Saturday evening at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
The Philippines defeated South Korea, 5-3, in the final of men’s curling and clinched its first-ever medal since debuting in the second Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan.
With the victory, the Filipino curlers could also get extra incentives from both the government and private companies for a job well done.
Still, the ultimate goal for the Philippines is to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“We were also lucky, and maybe we wanted it a bit more. It’s day one again,” Frei said.
“Back to the beginning. Back to the gym.”