THE gold medal won in the Ninth Asian Games is priceless but nevertheless, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) went from extremely appreciative to humbly generous by rewarding each member of the successful men’s curling team with cash incentives before flying back to Switzerland on Monday.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino refused to let go of the team without having a pre-flight lunch at the New World Hotel in Makati City where each received $5,000 as incentive from the POC Executive Board.

“The incentive may not parallel their effort and dedication— and even the expenses they personally incurred—but it’s one small way for the POC to show its gratitude to the team,” Tolentino said.

From Harbin, the team of Marc Pfister, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister, Alen Frei, alternate and Curling Pilipinas president Benjo Delarmente and Pfister’s wife Jessica flew in to be briefly honored by the POC, which pampered the winter sports history-making team at the Knights Templar Hotel in Tagaytay City.

Before officially competing under the country’s colors as a fully-recognized member of the POC, the Swiss-based team made considerably huge investments for their campaign in international competitions ahead of the Harbin games.

“It’s no joke funding your own participation in international events specifically a blue-chip sport like curling,” Tolentino said.

As the team and the country savors the successful stint in Harbin, Tolentino said serious steps for the team—and other winter sports athletes—to qualify for next year’s Milano Cortina Winter Olymoics are now being undertaken.

“The path to Milano Cortina has become clearer, and on to our goal of a first Winter Olympics medal,” Tolentino said.