IM Concio retains National Jrs crown

INTERNATIONAL Master Michael Concio, Jr. retained the title he was expected to win, while Ma. Elayza Villa came out of nowhere to crown herself girls’ champion in the National Juniors and Kiddies Chess Championships in Alicia, Isabela on Tuesday.

Concio, a World Cup veteran, needed to draw his ninth and final-round game with Christian Olaybal and watched conqueror Jan Clifford Labog fall to Chester Neil Reyes to snare the juniors’ title with 7.5 points.

Reyes wound up second with seven points, while Labog edged Oscar Joseph Cantela via tiebreak to settle for third with 6.5 points apiece in this event backed by host Mayor Jose Alejandro.

For Villa, she needed to hurdle Shiela Mer Donoga to finish tied for first with Ruelle Canino, a winner over Rinoa Mariel Sadey, with 7.5 points before eventually claiming the title with a higher tiebreak.

Topping the kiddies’ side were Deandra Castronuevo in the girls’ division and Phil Martin Casiguran in the boys’ category.

PH’s biggest gymnastics’ tilt lures 200 bets, 20 countries

THE curtain rises Wednesday for the biggest gymnastics’ event in the country this year—the 19th Junior and 14th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships—at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

It will be the first time the twin events will be staged in the country behind the partnership between the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Close to 200 gymnasts from 20 countries will vie in the event that runs until May 3 and serves as qualifier for the 40th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia, Spain in August.

Competition manager Anna Lou Carreon and GAP deputy secretarygeneral Rowena Bautista graced the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex yesterday.

According to Carreon, the competing countries are China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taipei, Uzbekistan and Vietnam then Australia and New Zealand from the Asia-Oceania Zone.

World champion Carlos Yulo is not vying in the event that offers 16 gold medals but the GAP assured that the country will field bets, who may be the next Carlos Yulo.

“In this event we might see the future of Philippine gymnastics,” said Carreon in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, POC, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Cor poration (PAGCOR).

Bautista said gymnasts to watch out for include those from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Japan and Korea, including last year’s all-around champion from Uzbekistan, Takhimina Ikromova.

MANDALUYONG Namayan scored a massive upset on Sunday at the San Andres Gymnasium in Manila, handing Taytay its first loss in the National Capital Region Leg of the Manila Bankers Life-Pilipinas Super League 18-Under tournament by way of a 101-89 decision.

The Tigre, who were coming off a crushing 63-86 loss to Mapua-521 Trading just the other day, leaned on the duo of James Corpuz and Joseph Catome to rise to 3-2 in this tournament co-presented by SCD and Dumper party-list, and supported by J Project Clothings, MDC, Bluesky Advertising, NET 25, Wcube Solutions Inc., Hotel SOGO, and Converge. Corpuz tallied 27 points on