The Philippine consulate general in Vancouver hosted a reception on November 13, 2019 for the Philippine bobsled team.
The team is training in Whistler for preparation for a bid to qualify for the 2022 Olympics.
The team, composed of members of the Philippine Coast Guard, needs the support of the local Filipino community.
The members of the team are Team A – Jeffrey Dela Cruz, Pilot, Joseph Acosta, Brakesman,
Team B – Jerby Deriada, Pilot, and Rey Fernandez, Brakesman, Coach – Dennis Marineau, ABA Director Sarah Monk.
Thelmo “Buddy” Cunanan Jr., chief of the Philippine National Bobsled, Luge, and Skeleton Association, Inc. (PNBLSA), established the team in 2017.
The PNBLSA is a national sports association recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission.
“We aim to make history by being the first Philippine and ASEAN bobsledders to compete in the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022,” Cunanan said.
According to Cunanan, in order to qualify for the Olympics, the Filipino bobsleddershave been training and competing for three years–first in Innsbruck, Austria in 2017 and from 2018 till the present, in Calgary, Alberta, and Whistler B.C., under the supervision of the team’s official partner, the Alberta Bobsleigh Association.
“We need your help! Please donate to our team. Every dollar given will bring us one step closer to our Olympic goal, that will bring great honor and prestige to the Philippines,” Cunanan said.
The team will compete on November 17, 2019 at the Whistler Sliding Center. The event is the Alberta Bobsleigh Association Cup, and will start at 11 a.m.
The Philippine team won bronze in the men’s category at the 2019 Alberta Cup Provincial Championship held in Calgary last March.
