VIETNAM -- The Philippines finished in a three-way tie for fifth to seventh places at the end of the team rapid competition in the third Asian Indoor Games here.

Bannered by GMs Rogelio Antonio, Jr. and Mark Paragua, Catherine Perena and Shercila Cua,, the Filipinos closed out with a nine-round total of 10 points based on  match point score of  five wins and four losses in  the tough, 15-nation tournament.

The Philippines tied with Kazakhstan and Jordan with 10 points apiece.

China topped the preliminary round with a runaway total of 17 points on eight wins and one draw based on a scoring system which gives two points for a win and one point for a draw and zero for a loss.

Vietnam finished second with 14 points on seven wins and two losses, followed by India and Uzbekistan with 13 points on identical scores of six wins, one draw and two losses.

The Philippines had a roller-coaster ride during the tournament, winning five and losing four matches.

The Filipinos actually started strong, sweeping its first two assignments against  Nepal (4-0) in the first round and  Maldives (4-0) in the second round.

But four consecutive losses to India (.5-3.5),  Vietnam (1-3), Iran (.5-3.5) and Uzbekistan (1.5-2.5) dashed the Filipinos'  hope of making it to the  semis.

Back-to-back victories  over Thailand (4-0) in the eighth round and Qatar ( 3-1) in the ninth round enabled the four-player Philippine team to finish in the upper half of the standings.

Paragua, who manned board two,  emerged as the Filipinos' leading s corer  with  5.5 points on five wins, one draw and two losses.

Antonio, one of   three Filipinos who earned the  right to compete in the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia later this month, finished with five points on four wins, two draws and two losses.

In the individual  rapid, Antonio finished in a tie for  sixth place with GM  Mohammad Al Sayad of  Qatar with  six  points,  two points  behind  GM Wang Hao of China.                  Ed Andaya