PSC looks into Antonio sacking by chess body

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Sports Commission will look into the last-minute ouster of Grandmaster Joey Antonio from the national team by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. PSC chair Richie Garcia yesterday said the agency plans to meet with NCFP president Prospero Pichay to get a clearer picture of the issues that led to Antonio’s sacking.

“His (Antonio) disqualification is controversial,” said Garcia. “I have to find out and clarify the issue with Mr. Pichay.” Antonio, the country’s No. 2 player, drew the ire of Pichay when he skipped two major local tournaments to compete in minor events in the United States three weeks ago. Antonio missed the 6th Pichay Cup on Aug. 19 to 26 and the 1st Florencio Campomanes Memorial Cup on Aug. 28 to Sept. 3. The NCFP, which replaced Antonio with International Master Richard Bitoon, required its players to join at least one of the two events. Garcia said the PSC provided the airfare and allowances of Antonio in the US after Pichay himself requested financial assistance. “There must be something wrong,” said Garcia. “They (NCFP) should have not made the endorsement in the first place. “It would be a pity if an elite athlete like Joey gets removed from the national team.” According to NCFP executive director Willie Abalos, however, Antonio was duly informed of the consequences in case he failed to return in time for the Campomanes Cup. The NCFP announced that Bitoon will take over Antonio’s slot in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, from Sept. 21 to Oct. 3 and the Asian Games in Guangzhou. Other members of the team bidding to improve on the Philippines’ best-ever finish of No. 7 in the 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad are GMs Wesley So, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre. Antonio, Laylo and So, the country’s youngest and highest-rated GM, belong to an elite core of 16 athletes who receive monthly allowances of P20,000 from the PSC.