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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider POC chief Tolentino remains hopeful despite steep challenge in Winter Games

POC chief Tolentino remains hopeful despite steep challenge in Winter Games

Published Feb 5, 2026 04:25 pm
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (POC)
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (POC)
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has a clear mindset as the country fields two athletes to the 25th Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina in Italy: Nothing is impossible.
Tolentino, who flew to Italy Thursday, Feb. 5, to join the Philippine delegation, said the country winning three gold medals in the last two stagings of the Summer Olympics only means that Filipino athletes can make it anywhere.
“We have proven that it can be done,” said Tolentino as he looked forward to this edition of the Winter Olympics, which fires off Friday to officially welcome 2,871 athletes from 92 nations.
Alpine skiers Francis Ceccarelli, 22, and Tallulah Proulx, 17, are left to carry the load for the Philippines, which first competed in the Winter Olympics in 1972 in Sapporo in Japan, also with two athletes.
The Philippines has yet to win a medal in the Winter Olympics but struck in the Asian Winter Games with a gold medal in men’s curling in Harbin, China last year. That victorious team just fell short of qualifying to this year’s Winter Olympics.
Tolentino said golden moments for the country in the 2020 and 2024 Summer Games in Tokyo and Paris, courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo and gymnast Carlos Yulo, plus the full support or the Philippine Sports Commission under chairman Patrick Gregorio, should provide the needed push for the campaign in Milan and Cortina.
“The Winter Olympics are as extremely tough as the Summer Olympics. But we’ve done it before (Summer Olympics),” Tolentino added.
Ceccarelli and Proulx will plunge into action in men’s and women’s alpine skiing (giant slalom and slalom) on Feb. 14 and 15, respectively.
“As long as we believe, our athletes can and will excel,” said Gregorio.
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