PH women's curling team crushes Hong Kong in Asian Winter Games opener

The Philippine women's curling team, led by Kathleen Dubberstein, began their 9th Asian Winter Games campaign in Harbin, China, with a decisive 7-2 victory over Hong Kong on Sunday.

Team captain Dubberstein, alongside Leilani Sumbillo and Sheila Mariano, expressed optimism about the win, emphasizing the need to maintain momentum in upcoming matches.

The Filipino curlers established an early 6-0 lead in the first four ends and solidified their advantage in the sixth end, leading Hong Kong to concede before the final end.

Dubberstein, a seasoned curler from Wisconsin, highlighted the victory's role in boosting the team's confidence and potential for improvement.

The team's next opponents in the round-robin stage include Qatar, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Chinese Taipei, with the medal phase scheduled for Valentine's Day.

In other events, the Philippine men's curling team lost to South Korea 6-1, Peter Groseclose missed the quarterfinals in the 1000-meter short track speed skating, and Francis Ceccarelli was disqualified in alpine skiing.