Grandmaster Antonio, chess exec trade barbs

Grandmaster Joey Antonio and top officials of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines traded barbs Tuesday following the NCFP's decision to drop the 48-year-old veteran from the national team. "I think there's politics behind this. I feel like I am being singled out," said Antonio during the PSA Forum at Shakey's UN Avenue, where he was backed by placard-bearing supporters seeking his reinstatement in the RP team. Antonio came under fire from top NCFP leaders, including president Prospero Pichay, for choosing to play in two tournaments in the United States while skipping big ones lined up by the NCFP in Manila. Pichay said that as a veteran member of the RP team, Antonio could have skipped the Pichay Cup last Aug. 19 to 26, but not the first Florencio Campomanes Cup that was held Aug. 28 to Sept. 3. Antonio said he tried to book a flight to Manila on Aug. 25 and 26 to catch the Campomanes Cup. But he failed to get a seat and managed to come home only last Saturday. The NCFP allowed Antonio to compete in the tournaments in California and Michigan, both of which he won, and even endorsed his trip. It was the Philippine Sports Commission that took care of his airfare and allowances. "I passed through the proper channels for my US trip. It was Mr. Pichay himself who signed the recommendation to the PSC. Now, why am I being banned for missing the tournaments here?" asked Antonio. He cited other members of the national team who have gone out of the country and competed in international tournaments this year, in particular fellow GM Mark Paragua who's been in the US for six months now. "This is the first time I competed abroad this year. And I get banned for it while Mark has been in the US for six months now, and he's not being forced to join the tournaments here. It's just me they're after," said Antonio. The veteran of many Chess Olympiads said all he wanted was to use the tournaments in the US as part of his preparations for this month's Chess Olympiad in Russia, as well as the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November. "It's my way of preparing for these two big tournaments. But now I am banned by the NCFP. This could mean the end of my career. And how am I going to feed my family if I can no longer play chess?" he asked. Pichay also attended the forum, together with NCFP executive director Willie Abalos, and said that while he allowed Antonio to join the US tournaments, he made it known that Antonio should play in the Campomanes Cup. "We cannot consider his request for reinstatement. Joey was shying away from major tournaments because he doesn't want his ELO rating to drop. He has always been a problem for the team. We need cohesiveness in the team, and not someone who acts like a prima donna. This decision to drop him is for the good of the entire team," added Pichay. The former congressman also pointed out that since Antonio has been removed from the RP team, "Maybe we can remove him from the roster of the PSC (where elite athletes like Antonio get a monthly allowance of P20,000). He is no longer playing for the country, after all." Antonio was joined in the forum by his legal counsel, Sammy Estimo, former secretary-general of the NCFP. "Joey came home to defend himself when he learned that he was banned. He could have opted to stay in the US but he came home. But the NCFP has already closed the door on him," said Estimo. The former captain of an RP team to the Chess Olympiad said Antonio was denied due process, as needed to be followed, when the NCFP decided on the ban without hearing his side. - RCJ, GMANews.TV