Filipino speed cubers make podium at Malaysia tilt
MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino speed cubers made their presence felt against some of the region’s best, delivering podium finishes at the recently concluded Malaysia National Speed Cubing Championship at Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur.
Brenton Angelo Lo Wong, regarded as one of the Philippines’ leading speedcubers, and fast-rising 12-year-old Juan Miguel “Uno” Magallanes turned in impressive performances in their respective events, highlighting the growing strength of Philippine speedcubing on the international stage.
Wong, 20, a junior Business Marketing student at Ateneo de Manila University, settled for the silver medal in the 3x3 main event with a time of 5.634 seconds.
The result further strengthened Wong’s standing as one of the country’s premier speedcubers after he captured his second Philippine National Speed Cubing title last July.
“I’m very thankful for God’s guidance and for the support of my parents and sponsors. It was a tough competition, with more than 100 players from around the region,” said Wong, who competes under MnM Cube Shop.
Magallanes, meanwhile, lived up to his nickname “Uno” by ruling the 2x2 event presented by the Asian Mind Sports Association (AMSA) with a winning time of 1.06 seconds and an average of 1.47 seconds. He also finished runner-up in the 3x3 event, posting a 4.48-second single and a 6.45-second average, as well as in the 3x3 One-Handed event.
“When I started cubing almost three years ago, I was just happy getting sub-20 in 3x3 and sub-5 in 2x2,” Magallanes said.
“Looking back, I think one of the biggest lessons cubing has taught me is that you don’t always realize how far you’ve come until you stop and look back at where you started. What once felt impossible can slowly become reality when you keep practicing, keep learning and most importantly, keep showing up.”
Wong and Magallanes also teamed up with Malaysian speed cuber Tee Kai Yang to capture the team relay championship for Team BTJ, adding another highlight to their successful campaign.
Wong said their performance in Malaysia is also part of their bigger goal of inspiring more young Filipinos to take up speed cubing and compete internationally.
“After this campaign with Uno, I hope we continue to inspire young Filipino athletes. Under the leadership of the newly formed National League of Mind Sports in the Philippines, I firmly believe we can produce many more talents competing abroad,” Wong said.
Wong also plans to continue promoting the sport with the support of MnM Cube Shop by conducting seminars, clinics and Super Intensive Training sessions for young speed cubers in Manila and nearby provinces.
He is also looking forward to a much bigger Asian competition next year, including the inaugural Asian Speed Cubing Championships, which is expected to offer a $100,000 prize purse and is being organized under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia.
“Next year, the Olympic Council of Asia sanctioned a bigger tournament in Asia. Hopefully, more Filipino speed cubers can make it and represent the country,” Wong said. (Contributed story)
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