POC grants curlers additional bonus

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine men’s curling team of Marc and Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller, Alan Frei and Benjo Delarmente received an additional bonus of $5,000 each (P291,000) for their historic Asian Winter Games gold-medal feat in Harbin, China last week.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino personally handed the bonus last Monday before the squad left for Switzerland to resume training.

“The incentive may not be in parallel with their effort and dedication – and even the expenses they personally incurred – but it’s one small way for the POC to show its gratitude to the team,” said the Tagaytay mayor.

It was apart from the P2 million or P500,000 each the squad members will get from the government via the expanded National Athletes Incentives Act.

This came after Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann vowed full support to the Filipino curlers and the whole winter sports teams that funded themselves in Harbin and leading up to it.

Tolentino also vowed to ask President Marcos if and when they meet to help the national winter games team as they eye a breakthrough medal in the Winter Olympics in Italy next year.