Ateneo student places third in Beijing Sudoku tournament

Sarah Jane Cua, a student of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), recently placed third in the under 18 category of the 2012 Beijing International Sudoku Tournament in Beijing, China.  

Cua, 16, an incoming second year Management Engineering  student of ADMU, received a prize of $300. Zuzana Hromcova of Slovakia placed first and won $500 while Qui Yanzhe of China placed second and received $400.

According to a news release of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG), the tournament drew 52 contestants from 13 countries and regions including the United States and Japan.

Dr. Simon Chua, president of the MTG, said Cua placed first in the same category. Cua won as grand champion in the BRAND’s Asia Pacific Sudoku Challenge in 2008 and 2010. She won second place in the 3rd BRAND’s Sudoku Thailand International Open Princess Somsawali Cup held in Bangkok in 2009.  Main contest

In the main contest, which awarded the Top 10 contestants, the grand prize went to 23-year-old Kota Morinishi of Japan, who beat Jakub Ondrousek of the Czech Republic in the finals. Ondrousek was last year's champion in the tournament.  

As the new champion, Morinishi won $6,000 while Ondrousek won $5,000 as first runner-up.  

Aside from Cua, the other contestants which represented the Philippines were Alvin Ian Chan of Ateneo de Manila University, Candice Renee Beatrice Solidarios of Integrated Montessori Center-Laguna , Clyde Wesley Ang of Chiang Kai Shek College, Ma. Czarina Angela Lao of Saint Jude Catholic School, Natalie Beatrice Dy of Saint John's Institute of Bacolod City, Ralph Joshua Sarrosa of the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo and Melvin Baldrias of Dacanlao G. Agoncillo National High School in Calaca, Batangas. The team leader was Robert Degolacion, MTG executive director.

The participating countries in the tournament were the United States, Japan, host China, Slovakia, Taipei, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, Turkey and the Philippines.  

The 2012 Beijing International Sudoku Tournament was organized by the Beijing Media Network and sponsored by the Beijing Olympic City Development Foundation, Beijing Sports Federation and the Feng Tai District Information Office in Beijing. — VVP, GMA News