The Philippines' men's curling team has made history with its upset victory over South Korea at the 2025 Asian Winter Games. Also known as Harbin 2025, the ninth edition of the Asian Winter Games is currently being held in Harbin, China.

The team's gold medal victory is the first in Asian Winter Games history for the Philippines. It is also the first in the multi-sport event's history that a Southeast Asian country won gold.

The Philippines' Men's Curling Team Bags the Gold

The Philippines, a tropical country that does not experience winter, won with the score 5-3 in order to secure the gold in the men's curling event.

The team is composed of Benjo Delarmente, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister, and Marc Pfister.

According to a report by local Philippine news outlet GMA News, the Philippines enjoyed an early 3-1 before South Korea was able to equalize.

Philippine Men's Curling Team at 2025 Asian Winter Games
Philippines' Christian Haller (L) and Enrico Pfister compete in the men's gold medal game between Philippines and South Korea during the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province on February 14, 2025. JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines eventually took the lead and narrowly avoided another equalizer from South Korea, which sealed the victory.

Prior to its gold medal match, the Philippines scored another upset, winning over host China during the semi-final match.

What is Curling?

World Curling defines the sport as "a team sport, played on ice, where two teams take it in turns to slide stones made of granite towards a target – known as a House."

"Curling is played over ten ends, however in some formats and competitions this may be reduced to eight ends," World Curling explains. As with most, if not all supports, the team that has the most points wins the game.

So how can a team score points? Here's a quick guide on curling: