Online dancesport, chess tourneys get underway

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu may still be on quarantine mode but it doesn’t stop sports in this side of the country from staying alive and kicking these days via online tournaments.

And not just one, but two events are scheduled for today.

First off is the opening leg of the weekly online grassroots dancesport competition spearheaded by the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) under the leadership of chairman Edward Hayco.

Showdown starts at 2 pm.

Dancesport-Team Cebu City head coach Loloi Rendon said they are limiting the number of participants as they might not be able to finish the competition on the same day since they are still in the learning stage with the technology.

“We are trying to have 50 competitors for now from different barangays,” said Rendon.

Expected to showcase their wares are dance athletes from Labangon, Tejero, Tisa, Punta Princesa, Guadalupe, and City Central School.

Rendon said their latin and standard champions and senior dance teachers will serve as adjudicators (judges). They will only tap adjudicators from visayas and Mindanao after their second event.

On the other hand, the fourth installment of the monthly Stay at Home Chess Challenge billed as the ‘Bounty’ edition will also take place this afternoon.

The two-hour tournament backed up by Sunshine Almonds owned by Ralph Palmeri will be played on lichess.org at 5 p.m. in arena format (berserk is not allowed).

Event organizer International Master Kim Steven Yap said those who can beat IM Oliver Dimakiling will get a P200 bonus.

Close to P30,000 in cash prize will be given away to the top finishers of the online tilt that will be streamed live on the Cebu School of Chess (CSC) Facebook page.