DAVAO AGE-GROUP CHESS BEGINS TODAY

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

THE much awaited Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte 2011 National Age-Group chess championships gets underway today, Monday, 1pm at the Gaisano Mall in Davao City.

Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte will make the ceremonial moves with Department of Education Asst. Secretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Tonisito Umali during the colorful opening ceremony.

An annual undertaking of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), headed by president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay, the national age-group championship will serve as the first of the twin tournaments being hosted by the Davao City government.

The other is the national junior championships scheduled April 29-May 3 at the NCCC Mall.

The twin competitions offers trophies and cash prizes to the top finishers, as well as the right to represent the country in the ASEAN + age-group tournament inTarakan, Indonesia on June 11-20, and the World Juniors in New Delhi, India on Aug. 1-16.

“We’re pleased to hold the two prestigious events in the NCFP calendar in Davao City under the auspices of Mayor Duterte,” said Pichay, who will attend the awarding ceremony next week.

“With slots to the ASEAN + age-group championships in Tarakan and the World Juniors in New Delhi, I expect the players to give their best and earn the chance to represent the country,” added Pichay, who tapped NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos as the tournament director.

Trophies and cash prizes are at stake in both tournaments, the biggest to be held this year in the progressive Mindanao city known as the business, investment and tourism hub for the entire southern Philippines.

In the age-group categories, the tournament is divided into the following categories:

20 years and below (boys)– born on or after January 1, 1991

20 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 1991

16 years and below (boys) – born on or after January 1, 1995

16 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 1995

14 years and below (boys) – born on or after January 1, 1997

14 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 1997

12 years and below (boys) – born on or after January 1, 1999

12 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 1999

10 years and below (boys)– born on or after January 1, 2001

10 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 2001

8 years and below (boys) – born on or after January 1, 2003

8 years and below (girls) – born on or after January 1, 2003



The cash prizes are P5,000 to the champion, P2,500 to the runner-up, P1,500 to the third placer, P1,000 to the fourth placer and P500 to the fifth placer.

In the national juniors boys and grils divisions, the eligible players are those born on or after January 1, 1991.

Prizes at stake in the boys category are P15,000 (champion), P10,000 (runner-up), P7,000 (third placer), P4,000 (fourth), P2,000 (fifth) and P1,000 ( sixth up to the 10th placers).

Girls winners will receive P10,000 (champion), P7,000 (runner-up), P5,000 (third placer), P3,000 (fourth), P1,500 (fifth) and P1,000 ( sixth to 10th).

For inquiries, call or text James Infiesto at cell 0910-2041199, Willie Abalos at cell 0929-2266210 or Ilann Perez at cell 0949-1760889 or email ncfpsecretariat@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., the fastest growing independent oil company today, is supporting the Mayor Inday Sara Cup 2011 National Age-Group Chess Championships.

“This one of our advocacies is sports, which instills values such as teamwork, communication, and discipline, especially in the youth,” said PPPI president Dennis Uy, who hopes “that it will encourage more Filipinos to play chess and learn from it the sportsmanship, responsibility, and concentration.”

“Phoenix responded to the call of Mayor Sara Duterte's challenge of active private companies as partners of Davao City's continuous boom in economy and positioning as top sports destination,” said James Infiesto, NCFP XI director and deputy OIC of the City Mayor’s Office Sports Development Division.