Chess mismatch: Vietnam 8, RP 0

Shut out in the gold medal race, the Filipino chessers will go down as one of the biggest failures in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippines failed to win a single gold medal despite coming into the event as the favorite, having won three of the four men’s gold medals in the 2003 Vietnam Games.

Instead of gold medals, RP came out of the battle with four silver and three bronze medals that not only disappointed the lovers of the game but its top official Go Teng Kok as well.

"I give up," said Go, who will not seek re-election when the National Chess Federation of the Philippines holds its election at the end of the year, in Filipino.

"There must be reform not only in the leadership but also in the players, but I will not have a part of it," he added.

Go, also the athletics chief, blamed the players for lack of dedication.

"All the players think about is money, they have no dedication anymore," he said.

NCFP secretary-general Sammy Estimo, for his part, said the absence of RP No. 1 GM Mark Paragua, who won three gold medals in Vietnam, also affected the team’s campaign.

"Mark (Paragua) has always been a big factor in the team," Estimo told The STAR midway in the tournament held in Tagaytay City. "But we can’t prevent him from scaling greater heights."

But the absence of Paragua should not be made as an excuse for the RP team’s dismal stint since fellow GMs Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam and Utut Adianto of Indonesia, the top players of their respective countries, also didn’t participate.

Their absence should have made the task easier for veteran GMs Eugene Torre and Joey Antonio. Instead it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Vietnamese, who swept all the eight gold medals in the sport.

Go even slammed Paragua, who skipped the SEAG in favor of the money-rich 2005 World Chess Cup in Russia.

"Actually the First Gentleman is disappointed of him (Paragua)," said Go. "He abandoned the country." — With report from Michelle Velete