Literatus loses medals at Singapore Airlines

DAVAO City chess ace Austin Jacob Literatus lost all seven medals he won in recent campaigns in Veitnam and Sri Lanka at Singapore Airlines.

Literatus, a Doña Carmen Denia National High School senior, said he might have lost them in his checked-in baggage when flying from Sri Lanka to Manila as his bag had faulty zip.

He also lost his passport when flying from Manila to Davao via a Cebu Pacific flight.

"Gisayangan gyud ko. Wala ko kabalo sa akong himuon. Sa Manila naman nako nahibaw-an nga nawala diay ako mga medals (It was a pity. I didn't know what to do when I found out only in Manila that I lost the medals)," he said during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn.

Literatus, who has yet to receive his Fide Master (FM) title certificate, collected three gold medals and two silvers in the 13th Asean+ Age-Group Chess Championships in Hue City, Vietnam where fellow Dabawenyos Ella Grace Moulic and John Marvin Miciano each brought home two silvers.

Literatus then figured in two bronze finishes in the just-concluded Asian Youth Chess Championships in Sri Lanka.

Davao City councilor Jackson Reyes, who also was a guest at DSA Forum with the three chessers, said he will write letters to the Singapore Airlines and Cebu Pacific to help Literatus retrieve his medals and passport.

Reyes said in the vernacular, "We will do our best to help Literatus. He worked hard for those medals. It will be very unfortunate if he doesn't get them back."

Reyes along with Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte backed up the Vietnam stints of Literatus, Moulic and Miciano. The three players paid Mayor Duterte a courtesy call on Monday but Literatus wasn't able to show her his medals.

Literatus said winning in the past two international tournaments he competed in had kept him grounded.

He said, "Wala may nagbag-o sa akoa. Mas natabangan ko nga mag improve as a player ug makaila pa ug mga bag-ong amigo sa Vietnam ug Sri Lanka (I didn't change at all, maybe, I just improved as a player and met new friends in Vietnam)."

Moulic and Miciano, for their part, were thankful for the opportunities to compete abroad.

Moulic, a Holy Cross of Davao College High School student, said she prepared hard for the tournament by reviewing openings on the net and praying to God.

Ateneo de Davao University sixth-grader Miciano said, "I am thankful for the support given to us by Councilor Reyes and Mayor Duterte."

The three Vietnam campaigners are set to compete in the Emcor Age-Group Chess Tournament opening on July 21, Shell National Active Youth Chess Championships on August 11 and 12 and the Mayor Inday Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Kadayawan Age-Group Chess Championships also in August.

Reyes, meanwhile, said he gave way to a series of chess tournaments lined up this month until August so his open tournament earlier slated on July 28 and 29 will have to be reset.