MANILA, Philippines—Timothy James Tan, a mainstay of the national mathematics team, is the country's new Sudoku champion.
Tan, 14 and a sophomore high school student of the Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City, topped the 5th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge (PSSC) championships held Saturday in Quezon City.
The numbers ace, who has been playing Sudoku since he was eight, took home P60,000 cash and a glass trophy for winning the annual contest organized by the non-government Mathematics Trainers' Guild-Philippines (MTG).
Tan beat four other contestants during the finals of the Grandmaster division in less than five minutes (out of the allotted time of 30 minutes).
Tan scored a total of 1,576.33 points from five rounds in the day-long competition, according to Dr. Simon Chua, MTG president.
During last year's edition of the PSSC, Tan topped the contest's Wizard category.
A member of the national math team since 1997, Tan has won over 40 medals from various math contests here and abroad.
Interviewed at the SM City North EDSA Mall, the contest venue, Tan said he was dedicating his latest victory to "God for helping me win this contest and to my parents (Andrew and Marigrace) and siblings (Eldrick and Carl) for their all-out support."
In the grandmaster division, three students of the Ateneo De Manila University—Alvin Ian Chan, Matthew Chris Chan and Marielle Dee—placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.
On fifth place was Frederick Ong, staff of the CFA-Bacolod Multinational Co.
Aside from trophies, they won cash prizes of P40,000, P20,000, P1,000 and P1,000, respectively.
In the Wizard category, Kaye Janelle Yao from Grace Christian College in Quezon City placed first, followed by Ma. Czarina Lao from St. Jude College in Manila, Jemima Sawey from Baguio City National High School, Bryan Joseph Borlongan from St. Mary's College in Baliuag, Bulacan, and Cybelle Liana So from Bethany Christian School in Cebu City.
They took home P50,000, P30,000, P20,000, P1,000 and P1,000, respectively.
In the Whiz Kid division, Bryan Russel Esperanza from St. Louis University Laboratory Elementary School in Baguio City emerged champion, followed by Rhina Coleen Manabay from Sto. Angel Elementary School in San Pablo City, Gerald Dalan from the Center of Excellence in Olongapo City, Bryan Pocholo Miguel Illana from Divine Light Academy in Molino, Cavite, and Romeo Enguerra II from Colegio San Agustin in Biñan, Laguna.
They won cash prizes of P20,000, P10,000, P5,000, P1,000, and P1,000, respectively.
A total of 161 students and professionals, all winners in the PSSC regional competitions, took part in the contest finals, according to Chua.
More than 6,500 Sudoku enthusiasts competed in the elimination phase of the contest, held late last year in SM malls in 15 key cities nationwide and the following schools: Zamboanga Chong Hua High in Zamboanga City; Philippine Science High School in Tacloban City; St. Augustine Academy in Iba, Zambales; St. Paul College in Vigan, Ilocos Sur; Immaculate Conception Academy in Batac, Ilocos Norte; and the state-run Center for Excellence in Olongapo City.
This year's PSSC winners will represent the country in international Sudoku championships in Singapore, Thailand, and Hungary, according to Chua.
Last year, PSSC champion Sarah Jane Cua won the Brand's Asia-Pacific Sudoku Challenge's top prize in Singapore.
The senior high school student of the Pangasinan Universal Institute in Dagupan City first topped the annual contest in 2008.
Cua, a ward of the MTG, won $10,000 (about P332,640), a glass trophy, and a certificate for winning the contest.
source: globalnation.inquirer.net
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