VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—Chess is one of the 19 sports disciplines included in the program of the Luzon Leg of Batang Pinoy Luzon hosted by the heritage province headed by Governor Ryan Singson and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Sports commissioner Charles Maxey said the Luzon leg winners in chess competition will earn the right to compete with champions from the Visayas and Mindanao leg for slots in the national pool.
“The national champion of chess will gain inclusion to the national pool where they will receive a monthly allowance of P10,000 from the PSC,” said Maxey.
Maxey led the opening rites of the chess competition yesterday at the Baluarte Function Hall, together with fellow commissioner and chess aficionado Arnold Agustin and tournament director Red Dumuk.
The rapied chess event ushered in the chess competition that attracted 165 woodpushers including the powerhouse Dasmarinas, Cavite team headed by Daniel Quizon, Justine and Kylen Joy Mordido, Jerlyn Mae San Deigo and Michael Concio, Jr.
The Standard event starts today and ends on Thursday while the one-day blitz event is scheduled on Friday.
Elimination matches in other sports for this multi-event for 15-year-old-below athletes also started yesterday with Laguna and Bulacan debuting with aplomb in badminton and Pasig City winning their opening game in basketball in separate venues in this historic city most popular for its preserved Spanish architecture.
Fifteen-year-old Joshua Balane struck with 17 points to lead Pasig to an 84-73, win over Bulacan’s San Ildefonso squad for an early lead in the Pool A of this two-bracket boys’ basketball competition at the Caoayan Covered Court.
Over at the Badminton Center of the adjacent Bantay City, Laguna’s Roy Angelo Pedron made short work of Jazphel Centino, 21-3, 21-8, while Pila, Laguna’s Charles Bagasbas worked extra hard in disposing of Francis Amora of Ramon, Isabela, 21-8, 13-21, 21-12.
Bulacan’s Malolos bets Jeff Alissandro, John Javier Manalansan and Charles Alcarpio made their presence felt with victories in badminton.
Alissandro stomped Rodolfo Loyola III, 21-2, 21-4; Manalansan beat Peter Joseph Aguirre, 21-7, 21-4; and Alcarpio defeated Philip Brian Eugenio of Tarlac, 21-9, 21-6, to move into the next round.
Bulacan also had another bet out of San Jose, Del Monte winning his debut. John Paul Barandino worked just enough to turn back Sta. Rosa, Laguna’s Noel Hernandez, 21-16, 21-18, to likewise march to the next phase of this discipline that drew 128 participants.
Competitions are played in the following venues: archery at San Ildefonso Central School; arnis at Pantay Daya Covered court; athletics at Pres. Elpidio Quirino Stadium; badminton at Bantay Badminton court; baseball at Cerillo Lao Compound; basketball girls at Caoayan Covered Court; basketball boys at Santa Catalina Covered court; boxing at Vigan City Plaza; chess at Balwarte Function Hall; dancesport at NSCC; karatedo at Vigan Convention Center; lawn tennis girls at Vigan Tennis Court; lawn tennis boys at Sta. Catalina; pencak silat at NSCC; sepak takraw at Baddend covered court; softball at Cerillo Lao compound; swimming at Quirino Stadium; table tennis at San Vicente covered court; taekwondo at Vigan Convention Center; volleyball at Immaculate Conception Seminary Covered Court and Immaculate Conception School of Theology; and beach volley at Pres. Elpedio Quirino Stadium.
The staging of the 2017 Batang Pinoy Luzon Games will serve as the province’s benchmarking for their hosting of the Palarong Pambansa games next April.