PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — Paulo James Florendo and Kimberly Jane Cunanan finally rose to the challenge in the 8th Asean + Age-Group Chess Championship here, as they pocketed a gold each in the rapid event to cap the Filipinos’ impressive showing at the Jomtien Thani Hotel in this world-famous tourist destination.
Florendo, a native of Zamboanga City and an Electronics and Communication Engineering student at the Rizal Technological University, emerged tied with Vietnam’s Tran Thanh Tu with 7.0 points after nine rounds of play for the gold medal in the boys’ Under-18 category.
“Sa wakas. Akala ko kasi, mase-zero ako dito. At least, nakapag-contribute din ako ng medalya sa bansa natin,” said the 18-year-old Florendo.
Cunanan, 15, a resident of Dau, Pampanga, finished in a three-way tie for first with seven points to also clinch the gold medal in the Under-16 division and led two other Filipinos—Generose Razo and Kristine Rose Mariano—to the team bronze.
Florendo and Cunanan’s feats brought the Filipinos’ gold haul to seven after 10 days of competition, where the 27-member RP Team, whose trip here was made possible by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, headed by its president, Rep. Prospero “Butch” Pichay, secretary-general Mayor Bambol Tolentino and the Philippine Sports Commission, led by Chairman Butch Ramirez, slugged it out against a big field that included 88 Vietnamese players and 57 Singaporeans.
“Our young chess players proved that they really deserve our support. Maganda ang ipinakita nila dito,” said Pichay, who also announced that the Philippines will host the Asean Age-Group Championship next year in Subic.
“By next year, we’ll host this tournament and we will have a bigger chance of winning more gold medals,” Pichay added.
Haridas Pascua, who won a gold each in the standard and blitz events, failed to score a grand slam and settled for a bronze in the boys’ Under-14, while Under-18 bet Aices Salvador of De La Salle also won a bronze.
The girls’ Under-12 squad of Brena Membrere, Mira Mirano and Ma. Leonora Daylo and the pair of Ma. Antoinette San Diego and Samantha Glo Revita in the Under-8 won a silver medal each in the team event.
The Filipinos also won bronze medals in the girls’ Under-14 composed of Chardine Cheradee Camacho and Judith Pineda; the boys’ Under-12 team of Eugene Samonte (4.5), blitz champion Vince Medina and Dominique Lagula and the boys’ 16-under squad of La Salle Greenhills’ Joel Pimentel, Emmanuel Eumir Songcuya and Emmanuel Elijah Songcuya.