Manila: The members of the national men's curling team that won the gold medal at the Asian Winter Games have earned the nod of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) as the best-performing athletes for February. Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, and Benjo Delarmente made history in China's 'Ice City' of Harbin by delivering the country's first gold medal after beating South Korea, 5-3, in the finals.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippines prevailed over Kazakhstan (4-1), Kyrgyzstan (12-2), Chinese-Taipei (11-3), Japan (10-4) and host China (7-6) to reach the final round. Also earning the nod of the PSA is pole vaulter EJ Obiena who won two gold medals in the European circuit. He dominated the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor Indoor in France (5.70 meters) and the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland (5.80 meters). Obiena competed at the 2020 (Tokyo) and 2024 (Paris) Olympics.
Other best-performing athletes are MMA star Joshua Pacio, the national men's beach handball squad, pool legend Francisco 'Django' Bustamante, Merry Joy Trupa, and Kim Mangrobang. Pacio defeated American Jarred Brooks via second-round TKO in their trilogy-ending fight in Qatar to become the undisputed ONE strawweight champion. The national men's beach handball squad downed Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia to sweep the Southeast Asian Beach Handball Championships in Suphanburi, Thailand. The women's team got the bronze medal.
Bustamante ruled the 29th Annual Jay Swanson Memorial and Predator One Pocket showdown in Las Vegas. Trupa secured the silver medal and Mangrobang took the bronze medal at the Asia Duathlon Championship in Manama, Bahrain to qualify for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.
