By Kristel Satumbaga
FIDE Master Sander Severino will spearhead the country’s campaign when it sees action in the very first Chess Olympiad 2020 Competition for the disabled set July 28 to August 5 in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia.
(From left) Jasper Rom, Henry Lopez and Sander Severino. (File photo)
The Filipinos, the perennial ASEAN and Asian Para Games champions, was one of the only 30 countries chosen to participate in the very first edition of the event.
They are also the only nation from Southeast Asia and one of the seven from Asia, which will also see Kazakhstan, India, Iran, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan competing.
FIDE Master Sander Severino leads the Philippines in the very first Para-chess Olympiad 2020 Competition. (Photo from Sander Severino’s Facebook account)
“This is historic and a dream of many of our players from the Para chess team,” said national team coach James Infiesto.
Infiesto said the 30 countries selected were based on the highest rated per country and continent.
Severino is expected to man the top board being the highest Filipino chessers in the Para squad with 2364.
The other members of the team are Jasper Rom, Henry Lopez and Darry Bernardo and Cheyzer Mendoza, the country’s highest ranked chesser with a 1639 rating.
Other nations chosen were Poland, Israel, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Belarus, Romania and Montenegro from Europe, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, United States and Panama from America and Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya from Africa.
Russia is joining being the host while the International Chess Federation or FIDE will nominate two more countries.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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