Hot in Harbin: Unranked PH mixed curling reaches Asian Winter Games quarterfinal

MANILA, Philippines – With nothing to lose and practically no pressure, the Philippines continued its improbable streak in the 2025 Asian Winter Games (AWG) in Harbin, China, as its mixed doubles curling team fired away on a three-game winning streak to reach the quarterfinals on Wednesday, February 5.

Following a shock 12-6 win over world No. 13 and Asia’s best South Korea and a 10-2 rout over world No. 45 Kyrgyztan, the Fil-foreigner duo of Marc Pfister from Switzerland and Kathleen Dubberstein of the US made light work of Qatari tandem Mabarka Al-Abdulla and Nasser Abdulrah Alyafei, 11-3, in Group B.

Now only two wins away from the country’s first-ever medal in the AWG’s nine-edition history, Dubberstein is keen on “keeping the same attitude” heading to their next game, a quarterfinal showdown against world No. 33 Kazakhstan on Thursday night, February 6.

“Qatar is also a developing nation in curling just like us. Our game with them was a good experience,” said Dubberstein, who is also slated for individual women’s play on Sunday, February 8.

Pfister and Dubberstein, however, suffered a small setback in their torrid run, falling to world No. 15 China in what was still a promising loss, 9-6.

Should the Philippines prevail against Kazakhstan, a loss in the semifinal does not mean the end of the world as it can still attain bronze in the third-place match. A knockout final berth, meanwhile, assures Pfister and Dubberstein a breakthrough silver at the very least. – Rappler.com