An international curling team coached by a Nelson resident won bronze at the 2024 Pan Continental Curling Championship earlier this month in Lacombe, Alta.
Nathan Small, in his second year with Team Hong Kong, trained the rink in the lead-up to the event and worked with them through their run to the podium.
Hong Kong, which includes skip Jason Chang, third Martin Yan, second Ching Nam Cheng, first Cheuk Hei Chung and alternate Chi Lap Ma, went 7-3 in the round robin to qualify for playoffs.
They fell in the semifinals to eventual champion Philippines (which features a team of athletes born in Switzerland), but in the bronze-medal match Hong Kong scored in the final end to edge Jamaica 8-7.
“These guys were firing on all cylinders," said Small. "So you know that for me as a coach, that made me feel pretty good, because medalling is always good.”
Hong Kong competed in the B Division of the tournament. Winners from that division move up to the A Division, where the top teams qualify for the American and Pacific-Asia zones for the world curling championships.
In 2023, Small was a last-minute addition to the team as a coach but they still went on to win bronze. For this year, Small opted to fly to Toronto where the team is based for nearly two weeks of training prior to the event.
“I knew if I was going to make a difference for the guys, I needed to spend more time with them. I needed to be on the ice with them. I needed to be sweeping rocks with them. I needed to watch their releases.”
Small, who also recently joined on to play with B.C.-based Jared Kolomaya's rink, said he's committed to another year of coaching Hong Kong. The team will next travel to compete 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, in February, where they will face top-ranked rinks. Small also plans to stick around through next year's Pan Continentals.
"I'm already kind of developing a plan to really elevate their game. It's been a rewarding experience. I'm looking forward to it."
