Labog’s double chess golds highlight NCR’s dominance

DAVAO CITY—Chesser Eric Labog Jr. helped seal the overall supremacy of National Capital Region with a surprise gold-medal victory over international master Daniel Quizon at the end of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa here Saturday.

Labog, one of the pillars of the University of Perpetual Help junior chess team in the NCAA, pulled off the upset via the tiebreak after compiling six points together with Quizon in the secondary boys’ individual standard event.

The 16-year-old underdog eventually struck a second gold medal in the team standard event with Chris Pondoyo while Calabarzon’s Quizon, the 2018 Eastern Asia Junior champion, settled for his second silver with Japheth Caresosa.

On a bigger scale, Labog’s two-gold haul at the close of the Palaro was reflective of NCR’s dominance after the Big City squad collected a total of 86 gold medals, 71 silvers and 56 bronzes for the region’s 20th consecutive overall plum.

Calabarzon, which rallied in the final two days to rule elementary boys’ basketball, boys and girls’ volleyball and secondary baseball, wound up second overall with a 66-49-73, gold-silver-bronze tally.

Woodpushers Jerlyn Mae San Diego and Kylen Joy Mordido made up for Calabarzon’s defeat in the boys’ standard events.

San Diego pocketed the gold medal in the secondary girls’ individual and formed a formidable duo with Mordido to secure the mint in the team event.

NCR fended off the Calabarzon effort to reverse the outcome by topping both the high school boys and girls’ basketball and volleyball tournaments.