Calm, collected Severino focused on ASEAN Para Games chess bid

PHNOM PENH — Sitting on his wheelchair while contemplating on his next move during one of the team’s training sessions at the Sports Village of the vast Morodok Techno Sports Complex here, Sander Severino was as calm as a cucumber with chess action in the 12th ASEAN Para Games action here just a few days away.

Little that the unsuspecting opposition knows, Severino, the most bemedaled Filipino athlete in last year’s edition in Surakarta, Indonesia where he scooped up four gold medals, was just patiently waiting to unleash his wrath.

“Wala pa kong nararamdaman,” the meek former world champion for people with physical disabilities who was diagnosed with muscle dystrophy at a young age, told The STAR on Thursday with a tiny smirk on his face.

“Focus lang ako sa goal,” he quickly added.

The target, of course, for Severino and his band of wood-pushing brothers and sisters is to snipe a big share of the 39 mints to be staked in the sport, which will have three individual and team events—standard, rapid and blitz — in six categories — B1 men and women, B2 men and women and P1 men and women.

In Surakarta, the squad has amassed 10 gold, 11 silver and five bronze including four by Severino.

Expect them to go for more in this Cambodian capital.

Chess is set Saturday at the Royal University.

“We’re happy that our team is now complete after Jasper Rom arrived last night,” said team captain James Infiesto. “We just want to be better than last year.”

Meanwhile, the country will open its campaign with its gold-seeking wheelchair basketball team clashing with Indonesia in 3x3 action today at the Elephant Hall 1 here.

The Filipinos, who took the silver medal a year back, will battle the Indonesians at 10 a.m.

It will be followed by games against Cambodia (2 p.m.), Thailand (4:30 p.m.) and Malaysia (6 p.m.).

The women's squad, for its part, faces off with Laos (1:30 p.m.), host Cambodia (3:30 p.m.) and Malaysia (6 p.m.).

The medal round is scheduled the next day beginning at 9:30 a.m.

"We're hoping for the best," said coach Vernon Perea.

The rest would unfurl Sunday, or the day after the biennial event will be unveiled at the complex’s national stadium.