Hangzhou, China—The Philippine para chess team lived up to expectations by delivering three gold, two silver and two bronze medals on Thursday in the 4th Asian Para Games here.
Veteran campaigner Menandro Redor emerged as the first double-gold medalist for Team Philippines by topping the Men’s Individual Standard VI-B2 and teaming up with NM Darry Bernardo and Arman Subaste in ruling the Men’s Standard VI-B2 of the chess competition held at Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) here.
Redor’s fifth full point came after beating compatriot Arman Subaste in the 7th and last round.
Iran’s Rabbi Khorasgani Amir, who defeated Adji Hartono of Indonesia, took the silver, while Satrio Gayuh of Indonesia managed only a draw with Kishan Gangoli of India for the bronze medal.
The Pembo resident, who has less than 10 percent vision in both eyes, actually wound up tied for first with identical 5.5 points, with Khorasgani but took the gold through the tiebreak for having played stronger players through the seven-round series.
Armand Subaste was the next best local chesser with four points after drawing Tajikistan’s Suhrob Hamdamov as the PH squad, which includes Darry Bernardo, finished with 9.5 points in clinching the team gold in the stint supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Lawyer Cheyzer Mendoza gave the Philippines its third chess gold medal by dominating the Women’s Individual Standard PI.
Mendoza earned a total of 5.5 points after a win over Rachel Sharon Ave of India late Wednesday. It was enough to preserve her golden trip to the podium even after losing to Mongolia’s Khishigbayar Mijgee in the 7th round.
The polio-stricken Mendoza ended up tied with Yuni of Indonesia, who beat compatriot Lilis Herna Yulia in the other match.
Mendoza, however, took the mint with the winner-over-the-other rule after beating the top Indonesian in the previous rounds.
The chess team’s fruitful harvest for the day pushed Team Philippines from 20th to 12th place in the overall medal tally with a total harvest of 4 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals going into the final two days of this Asian multi-sports event for PWD athletes
Their golden finish in this stint, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, somewhat softened the setback suffered by the nationals in the men’s PI event, where they were dethroned in both the team and individual events by Indonesia following the setback of FIDE Master Sander Severino to veteran no. 1 Tirto in the final round.
Severino, who led the squad in sweeping both events in the 2018 Jakarta edition, was relegated to the individual bronze medal, while Henry Roger Lopez copped the silver behind Tirto following his final-round win over Mongolian Sundui Sonom.
“We were actually eyeing six golds entering today’s round, but the strategy and the breaks didn’t go our way yesterday,” said national para chess coach James Infiesto. “Luckily, we won half our goals today.”
“But we are still on target. Puwede pa siyang madagdagan,” stressed Infiesto with the first two rounds of the rapid event set to start Thursday afternoon, adding “the rapid game is one of our forte, since we play it often back in our country.”
The Filipino chessers resume their drive for more golds as they compete in the rapid events late Thursday until Friday.
On Wednesday, swimmer Ernie Gawilan gave the Philippines its first gold medal in the meet with his victory in the men’s 400m Individual Medley S7 Division.
In table tennis, Linard Sultan and Angela Querubin dropped a close 2-3 loss to Altynay Yerzhankyzy and Ali Makhulbekov of Kazakhstan, while the pair of Benedicto Gaela and Johna Pena bowed to Resti Hana and Mohamand Rian Phahasta, 1-3, of Indonesia in the Round of 32 of the Mixed Doubles – Class XD17-20.
The tandem of Smith Billy Cartera and Racleo Martinez lost in a straight set, 0-3, to Wanchai Chaiwut and Yuttajak Glinbancheun of Thailand in the Men’s Doubles – Class MD8 Round of 16.
Meanwhile, the Pilipinas Warriors capped their Asian Para Games’ debut with a 54-51 win over Kuwait to end up in 9th place in the men’s wheelchair basketball.