KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippines struck for eight gold medals, including three in chess, to leapfrog to fifth place in the 9th ASEAN Para Games at Hall 3 of the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Center here.
FIDE Master Sander Severino drew his sixth and final round match with Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Tuan to claim the individual gold in standard play of the physically impaired with 5.5 points, half a point ahead of FM Maksum Firdaus of Indonesia, who beat countryman Azhar Panjaitan.
Including the 3.5 points of Henry Lopez, the Philippines also took the team gold via a superior quotient over the Indons.
PH flag-bearer Menandro Redor and Israel Peligro also won the team gold in the B2-B3 (partial blindness) with 9.5 points. They bested their Indonesian rivals.
Over at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Cielo Honasan nailed the century dash gold in 13.96 seconds to complete a sprint double. She topped the 200m event Monday night.
Honasan, a 15-year-old polio victim who runs with a longer left leg, will shoot for a sprint treble as she competes in the 400m today.
Prudencia Panaligan also came through with a mint in the 100m for T52/53/54 with a clocking of 18.32, edging Thai Chainet Srithong (18.67) and Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Xuan Anh (18.78).
The Philippines now has 11 golds, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes.