The Philippine Sports Commission will reward Grandmaster Eugene Torre and newly-minted WGM Janelle Mae Frayna cash incentives for their exceptional feats in the recently concluded 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.
PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez shared that Torre will receive Php 100,000 for the bronze medal he won on board three in the men’s division, while Frayna will be given Php 50,000 for becoming the first Filipina to ever obtain the WGM and men’s International Master titles.
Beyond the monitary incentives, Ramirez added that both Torre and Frayna will get an audience with President Rodrigo Duterte, as soon as Josephine Medina returns after snaring a bronze medal during the table tennis competition of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
Torre scored 10 out of 11 points on nine victories and two draws, while Frayna scored seven of 11 to reap honors for the country.
This is Torre’s fourth medal after he won the silver in the 1974 Nice Olympiad, where he also became Asia’s first ever GM, and two bronzes in the 1980 Malta and 1986 Dubai Olympiads on top board.
Torre said it would have been gold if the formula used was percentages rather than performance ratings.
Former teammate GM Wesley So, who is now representing the United States, bagged the gold medal.
“Back then, the formula used was percentage. If that was used in Baku, I would have won the gold,” said Torre.
“But I’m still happy because Wesley [So] won the gold.”
