The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
THREE more grandmasters — two-time Asian junior champion Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr., Julio Catalino Sadorra, and John Paul Gomez — and a host of chess associations and clubs all over the country have signified their support to newly-formed National United Chess Federation of the Philippines (NUCFP) and its chairman, Manny Pacquiao.
Barcenila, Sadorra and Gomez produced some of the brightest moments in Philippine chess.
Barcenilla made history by winning the Asian Junior chess championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 1989 and Kerala, India in 1990.
A five-time veteran of the World Chess Olympiad, the 54-year-old champion from Bacolod was also a member of the Philippine team which achieved the country’s highest-ever finish — seventh place — during the 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad.
Sadorra, who became a grandmaster in 2011, was a regular mainstay of the country in various Oylmpiads and other major international tournaments. In 2009, he moved to the United States in 2011 to pursue his studies at the University of Texas at Dallas on a chess scholarship.
Gomez, the pride of Binan, Laguna, is a three-time national junior champion who earned his IM title in 2007 and GM title in 2009. He captured five Most Valuable Player awards and was named the UAAP’s “Athlete of the Year” for Season 71 while playing for La Salle Unversity in 2008.
The expression of support of the three grandmasters and several other titled and untitled players followed the earlier announcement of GM Wesley So, urging the Filipino chess community to unite under Pacquiao and his goal to produce more world-class Filipino chess players in the next few years.
Last month, the Bacoor, Cavite-born So came out into open to express support and solidarity with fellow Filipino players and officials in seeking reforms in local chess.
“I’ve heard some interesting news from the Philippines that our boxing hero Manny Pacquiao has declined his appointment as director and VP of the NCFP. Apparently, he has received many complaints about the questionable actions of the federation and the abuses and corruption involving its main officials,” said So in a statement to Manila-based media by NUCFP officials.
“I was also informed that a new federation, named the National United Chess Federation of the Philippines (NUCFP) was recently formed with Sen. Pacquiao himself as the head and Chairman,” added So, who continue to take up the cudgels for his fellow players thru the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP).
Pacquiao, on the other hand, agreed to lead the NUCFP to initiate reforms and purse his lifelong dream of producing more world-class Filipino players.
“We want to leave a legacy to the sport by unifying the community first. We’ve seen so much talent in the country. We have heard the sentiments and frustrations of our fellow athletes. I want to help and contribute,” said Pacquaio, who declined to accept the post of vice president handed to him on a silver platter by the NCFP.
Pacquiao lamented the case of So, who openly blamed corruption as the main culprit in the stagnation of local chess development
“I hope we could bring those talents back to the Philippines,” said Pacquiao, whose General Santos City-based Pacman Chess Association (PCA) is holding weekly tournaments to discover new talents from the grassroots.