By Robbie Pangilinan
Identical twins Keith Stephanie Go and Patricia Stephanie Go are fast becoming popular. Joining for the first time, the twins, both sophomore students from Diliman Preparatory School (DPS), finished first and second in the Athletic Association of Private Schools Inter-School District III-Quezon City Chess Meet.
Identical twins Keith Stephanie Go and Patricia Stephanie Go are fast becoming popular. Joining for the first time, the twins, both sophomore students from Diliman Preparatory School (DPS), finished first and second in the Athletic Association of Private Schools Inter-School District III-Quezon City Chess Meet.
With Keith winning the gold and Patricia bagging the silver medal, the siblings competed in the AAPS Unit V-QC competition.
Asked whether they find it difficult to manage their studies and playing chess at the same time, the two girls answered that it just requires good time management. Of course, for both of them, studies are their priority.
The twins’ father, Wilson P. Go, introduced chess to the girls a few years earlier. They both immediately liked the sport. Keith used to play volleyball but did not join the varsity team because her father thought she would tire herself out and neglect her studies. Patricia, on the other hand, was a former member of the wall climbing varsity. She chose chess over wall climbing because of the difficult training required in the latter.
Patricia dreams of becoming one of the best chess players, perhaps even a Grand Master in the future. As for Keith, she just wants to take each game as it comes and learn during every meet. She studies every move her opponent makes so that she will be ready for anything. Both girls practice with each other at home and train hard with Coach Erwin Carag (National Chess Master) and assistant coach Raymond Salvio weekly, even if they do not have any upcoming tournaments.
DPS takes pride in its sports and athletic programs, which are carefully planned and integrated in the curriculum. The DPS' athletic program has produced top caliber Taekwondo Jin John Paul Lizardo who brought home a silver medal from the South East Asian Games.
His younger sister Jyra Marie got the gold, along with Kim Aldrin Ammay, Mariegold Taculog, Mira Taculog, and Alexander Alivio who all bagged bronze medals in the 2007 Asian Taekwondo Federation Championships. Charizza Camille Alombro, another Taekwondo athlete, brought home the victory from the 4th Korea Open International Taekwondo Championship last November. She is also the winner in the sports talent search Pinoy Idol and a title contender in the Palarong Pambansa. Alombro likewise won the silver medal in the All Women’s National Taekwondo Championships last May.
DPS president and former senator Anna Dominique “Nikki” Coseteng recognizes the talents of these student-athletes and has offered full tuition fee scholarships for them. The scholarships hope to encourage them to study and train harder.Keith and Patricia Go are beneficiaries of the scholarship. The twins know that they can do so much more and achieve their full potential by being the twins chess champion
