THE PHILIPPINES sent a team of differently-abled wood pushers to the 2018 Malaysian Open with nothing in mind but to use it to train for the Asian Para Games set in October in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It has paid dividends.
Wheelchair-bound FIDE Master Sander Severino downed FM Arif Abdul Hafiz of Indonesia to finish third in the blitz section of the nine-round tournament behind eventual champion Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and second placer untitled Filipino Merben Roque.
The 32-year-old Severino — who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was a child but it has never stopped him from reaping honors for the country by being a multiple-gold medal winner in the ASEAN Para Games — actually wound up FM Yoseph Theofilus Taher of Indonesia, third seed GM Yuziang of China but emerged with the highest tiebreak to clinch No. 3.
Henry Lopez and Felix Anguilera, Severino’s teammates, and coaches James Infesto and FM Roel Abelhas likewise did well.
Lopez and Abelgas each ended up tied for 12th spot with 6.5 points while Anguilera and Infiesto wound up in the big group in the top 20 with six points apiece.
Visually impaired Redor Menandro and Arman Subaste wound up with five and four points, respectively.
Interestingly, the Severino-led team was 12th in the Team Rapid competition that was participated in by more than 50 teams.
They will play in the Open and Challenger Standard tournament that starts today.
“These will be an important part of our training as we shoot for the country’s first ever Para Asian Games gold,” said Severino in Filipino.
