RP youth team brings home 5 medals from APSSO

Coach Erwin Carag, Antoinette San Diego, Daryl Unix Samantila,
Stephen Rome Pangilinan, Rhal Sol Cruz

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FILIPINO chessplayers Marie Antoinette San Diego, Daryl Unix Samantila, Rhal Sol Cruz, Jr. and Stephen Rome Pangilinan shone in the just concluded 4TH ASEAN Primary School Sport Olympiad held from November 4 to 10 in Grand Sajid, Jaya Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dubbed as the "mighty four", the bright hopes of Philippine chess collected hard-earned 5 medals after the competition. Armed with the Filipino spirit of sports excellence, they have proven that they are equally at par with our ASEAN neighbors in terms of chess skills and talent.

Girl chesser Marie Antoinette San Diego of Dasmarinas, Cavite was awarded a gold medal in the girls individual standard, a silver medal in girls individual rapid, and another silver medal in girls individual blitz (exhibition event).

Daryl Unix Samantila, who hails from Malabon and a grade 6 student of Adamson University, was successful in bringing home a silver medal in the boys individual blitz (exhibition event).

The combined 10 points output of Samantila, Sol Cruz Jr. and Pangilinan was enough to secure a team bronze medal for our country in the boys team blitz competition.

Rhal Sol Cruz, Jr. is a grade 7 pupil of La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) and a consistent gold medalist in the Philippine Athletic Youth Association (PAYA) and Private Schools Athletic Development Association (PRADA) midgets division chess leagues. He is the son of Mr. Rolly and Nelia Sol Cruz of Meralco under the leadership of avid sports supporter Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan.

Stephen Rome Pangilinan of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan is the youngest APSSO athlete participant at 8 years old, and yet he stood tall with his firm determination to contribute to the Filipino cause which backed up by Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos Jr., representative Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales, Dra. Guia Sol Cruz-Savellano, Adamson University Athletic Director Ms. Maria Luisa G. Isip, rep. Jaye Lacson-Noel of Malabon City, San Jose Del Monte (SJDM) Mayor Reynaldo San Pedro and SJDM rep. Arthur Robes.

The Filipinos love of country, love of sport plus the harmonious bonding of the Filipino APSSO athletes led to victory. The Filipino contingent was led by Mrs. Rosa Ligaya Domingo and Mr. Feliciano "Len" Toledo of the Department of Education (DEPED). They were overjoyed with the results because it is the first time after four years that the Philippines win a gold medal in APSSO. "It is a great feeling of hearing our national anthem played in the awarding ceremonies on a foreign land," said Mrs. Domingo.

The Philippines also participated in athletics, badminton, football and table tennis events. Only in chess that we garnered medals in the 4TH APSSO.

The parents' role and head chess coach in keeping the "mental toughness" of the chessplayers during the hectic week long chess competition is admirable. The standard events were done in just 2 days, with the players outwitting each other in practically 12 hours of play (3 standard chess games) in a days schedule. The rapid and blitz events were equally tough. Parents Mrs. Dina Samantila, Mrs. Marie San Diego and Mr. Bong Pangilinan were present at the games to serve as their child's moral support.

Filipino chess coach National Master (NM) and International Arbiter (IA) Erwin Carag thus added this 4TH APSSO victory to his long string of chess coaching achievements. "Kotch Erwin" as he is fondly called, recently was adjudgede the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) best chess coach for steering La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) Juniors Chess Team as this year's champion after 30 years of chess title drought. LSGH midgets chess team is currently the PAYA chess team champion.