NEWLY naturalized world figure skating champion Aleksandr Korovin will spearhead the Philippines when it plunges into action in the 9th Asian Winter Games set from Feb. 7 to 14 in Harbin, China.
It officially materialized after the 30-year-old Russian-born Mr. Korovin took his oath of allegiance before Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino in a simple ceremony on Monday at the Senate.
Mr. Tolentino, who heads kickboxing, sponsored Mr. Korovin’s naturalization bill that was eventually enacted and signed into law by President Marcos in December last year.
Mr. Korovin is expected to partner with Filipina Isabella Gamez, whom the former has been paired with for about four years now.
Although he’s Russian, Mr. Korovin and Ms. Gamez carried the Philippine flag in their international stints that resulted in the country’s first international medal — a silver in 2022 in Nice, France.
The pair will be a part of the lean but mean 20-strong delegation vying for glory in Harbin.
And if the stars align, the duo hopes to make it to the Winter Olympics next year in Italy where they also hope to snare the country’s first medal, if not the gold itself. — Joey Villar
