Front Page
 RP News  
 Community News
 Immigration
 Commentaries
 Business
 Sports 
 Entertainment
 Features
 Announcements
 News Archives
 People

SPORTS
Links

Archived Sports Stories

Copyright ©1999, 2000 by Radio-TV Pilipino Network, Inc. All rights reserved. Radio-TV Pilipino™, Basta Pinoy!™ News and Asiana Post™ are trademarks of Radio-TV Pilipino, Inc. Terms of use. Privacy policy.

BASTA PINOY! SPORTS REVIEW

PCF TO RECONSIDER DECISION EXCLUDING GMs IN OLYMPIAD

MANILA, Aug. 1  -- In a sudden change of heart,
Philippine Chess Federation (PCF) president Jess Ingeniero said he will call the PCF executive board in a "make-or-break" meeting to personally appeal for reconsideration of its earlier decision to exclude the country's grandmasters in the team for the World Chess Olympiad.

"With regards to policy making, I can't decide on that by myself," Ingeniero told the PSA forum at the Holiday Inn Manila. 

"The executive board has the power to do that but as the federation president, I can call a meeting, definitely a make-or-break one to persuade the members to reconsider their earlier decision."

It was a surprising statement from Ingeniero, who earlier lashed out at PCF's detractors on the "no seeding" policy by the agency in the forming of the team which will see action in the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 21 to Nov. 7.

Ingeniero said the poor performances of grandmasters Eugene Torre and Rogelio Antonio Jr. in recent tournaments here and abroad prompted the board to adopt the policy.

Torre, the country's leading woodpusher, was even booted out by an unrated player in last year's Millennium Chess Championship, according to Ingeniero, who described the recent PCF-sanctioned
elimination as an achievement.

"This (no seeding policy) is good for chess dahil nabibigyan ng pagkakataon ang ibang players na makapunta sa Olympiad," said Ingeniero. "With proper training, I don't think we failed in our
endeavor."

For his part, Torre said the PCF failed to consider the
records of his past stints in the Olympiad, where he always played the No. 1 board since getting his GM norm in 1972.

"Sa ibang bansa, ang mga grandmasters iginagalang, dito sa atin binabastos. I said it before and I will say it again, the PCF elimination is impractical, illogical and an insult to us grandmasters," said Torre.

Antonio, who is still in the thick of a legal battle against the PSC for illegal tax deduction on his P1 million purse in the Millennium Meet, said PCF officials, particularly secretary general Edgar de Castro, put chess in bad light.

Antonio added that peace can be attained only after a total revamp of the PCF.

Bong Villamayor, the country's fourth grandmaster, and woman national master Christine Rose Mariano said the issue must be resolved at the soonest possible time.

"The national team will be stronger if Eugene and Joey will be included," said Villamayor. "They deserve to be in the team."

For her part, Mariano said the crucial point in the Olympiad is the pairings where the lowest ranked players will be paired against higher rated opponents. "Wala nang mangyayari sa team natin."

Those who made it to the national team were international masters Richard Bitoon, Ildefonso Datu, Mirabeau Maga, Eduardo Nadera, Ronald Bancod and Villamayor. Mariano spearheads the four-man women's team. (SNS)

REQUEST FOR A COMPLIMENTARY COPY

 Refresh your browser to make sure latest update is shown.
 News Items on this website are for private use and must not be reproduced, printed or reposted without our written permission.
copyright (c) 2000 by Radio-TV Pilipino Network, Inc.

Sagrado, who is making his third title defense, promised to finish off Malcolm in the early rounds. However, the Australian is no pushover as he is a veteran of several international
championships.

Malcolm is determined to snatch Sgarado's crown and get his world ranking.
At present, Sagrado is busy doing rounds of sparring at the Elorde gym where he makes his daily workouts under the watchful eye of his trainer, Eddie Ballaran. 

Eddie is making sure that his ward gets the correct phasing. With a week to go before the big fight, Sagrado is almost making it to the 147-lb. weight limit and in top condition. (SNS)