Swiss-Filipino men on cusp of Olympic history

A banker, a construction worker, an electrician and an entrepreneur from snowy Switzerland have an unlikely shot at making Winter Olympics curling history - for the tropical Philippines.

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Harbin - A banker, a construction worker, an electrician and an entrepreneur from snowy Switzerland have an unlikely shot at making Winter Olympics curling history - for the tropical Philippines.

Jamaica's bobsleigh team were immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings after taking part in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

And the "Curling Pilipinas" could be the next candidates for the Hollywood treatment, should they line up at Milan-Cortina next year.

The Swiss-Filipino men's quartet are this week gaining invaluable experience at the Asian Winter Games in China, their biggest stage yet.

Just two years after the launch of the country's curling federation, the men's team - who were all born in Switzerland to Filipino mothers - have already secured a place at 2026 Olympic pre-qualifiers later this year.

Unlike full-time competitors from Asian winter sports powerhouses South Korea, Japan and China, the Philippines team members have day jobs.