Philippines curlers hit win column

MANILA, Philippines — Brothers Marc and Enrico Pfister spearheaded the Philippines’ 4-1 victory over Kazakhstan yesterday for its first win in curling’s men’s team event of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.

The Fil-Swiss siblings joined forces with Alan Frei and Christian Haller in a triumph over Kazakhs Abylaikhan Zhuzbay, Aidos Alliyar, Adil Zhumagozha and Yermek Mussainov, making up for their 6-1 defeat to the South Koreans the day before.

The Filipino curlers were shooting for a second win in a row versus Kyrgyzstan last night and gun for another one against Taiwan today that should keep them in medal contention.

The Kathleen Dubberstein-led women’s squad, in contrast, suffered its first defeat in three starts – a heartbreaking 6-4 setback to Japan.

The team, which also has Leilani Sumbillo An, Sheila Mariano and Anne Bonache, won its first two matches against Hong Kong, 7-2, and Qatar, 13-1, Sunday.

They hope to finish in the top four of the nine-team field to punch a semis ticket and should go all out versus Qatar last night, Kazakhstan and Thailand today and mighty China and South Korea tomorrow.

Newly naturalized Russian-born figure skater Aleksandr Korovin will officially debut as a Filipino as he teams up with Isabella Gamez in the pair skating program at the HIC Multifunctional Hall today.