Filipino chess players living up to billing at Asian Para Games
PINPOINTED as one of the sports that could provide the medals for the Philippines in the ongoing Asian Para Games in Indonesia, chess has delivered with Filipino wood pushers adding six hardware, including three gold medals, to date to the country’s total medal haul.
On Wednesday, the Philippine chess bets helped jack up the country’s standing in the medal race as FIDE Master Sander Severino topped the individual standard P1 (physically handicapped) competition and joined forces with Henry Lopez and Jasper Rom to rule the team event.
Also winning gold was the trio of Menandro Redor, Arman Subaste, and Israel Peligro, who won the team standard B2-B3 (visually impaired) category.
Mr. Redor, too, copped silver in the individual standard B2-B3 while Messrs. Rom and Subaste bagged a bronze each in the individual standard P1 and individual standard B2-B3, respectively.
The chess team was still expected to add more medals as rapid play started yesterday.
MEDAL HAUL
Meanwhile, as of 12 noon on Thursday, the Philippines sat at 11th place with six gold, six silver and, six bronze medals.
Apart from the three gold, one silver and two bronze medals from chess, accounting for the Philippine medal haul were two gold, two silver and two bronze medals from swimming, one gold and one silver from tenpin bowling, one silver from table tennis, one silver from powerlifting, and two bronze medals from cycling.
China continued to sit on top of the leader board with 106 gold, 53 silver and 42 bronze medals, followed by South Korea (38-3126), Iran (33-23-29), Uzbekistan (26-12-10), and Japan (25-44-45).
Rounding out the top 10 were Indonesia (23-30-34), Thailand (1724-32), Malaysia (9-16-16), India (7-14-19) and Hong Kong (6-9-19).
The 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta is happening until Oct. 13.
In the last Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014, the Philippines finished at 24th place with five silver and five bronze medals. —