FIDE suspension may effect ASEAN Age Group Championships

PARENTS of Cebuanos joining the Asean Age Group chess championships are worried after the Asean Chess Confederation was suspended by FIDE.

The event is scheduled on May 29 to June 7 and the parents have already booked their tickets for the tournament in Pattaya, Thailand.

FIDE, the world chess federation, suspended ACC for imposing disciplinary actions on Singapore Chess Federation and its official.

ACC acted on the complaint filed by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) against SCF official Tony Tan Teck in last year’s Asean + Age-Group tournament, which was hosted by Singapore, for conduct unbecoming of an official.

Last Oct. 10, ACC ruled Tan was guilty for inappropriate behavior and slapped him with a three-year suspension and also ordered SCF to sanction its official, which the federation failed to do.

Because of this, ACC imposed a three-year ban on the SCF executive committee and prevented them to organize events until 2018. But the sanction would be reduced to one year if SCF sanctions Tan.

However, FIDE learned that ACC constitution does not grant its management board to impose any disciplinary actions.

Fide, through its executive director Nigel Freeman, ordered ACC to remove the sanctions on SCF and Tan.

SCF meanwhile had imposed a two-week suspension on Tan after finding him guilty of NCFP’s charges.

Accordingly, ACC did not heed the orders of FIDE after finding that Tan continued to organize and to invite players despite the suspension order from his mother organization.

Because of this, FIDE suspended ACC as a member organization last Feb. 8 and its membership can be only reinstated after it follows the rules of FIDE and re-applies for membership during the next general assembly.

The series of incidents has worried the parents of the players, who have qualified to play in the annual tournament.

“We have already spent for the plane tickets to Thailand. Ang mga parents nipalit na daan while it is still cheaper,” Jerish John Velarde’s father Engr. John Velarde told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.

Velarde earned a trip to his fourth Asean tournament.

The other players from Cebu who will be vying for medal in the Asean + tournament are Kristina Concepcion Belano (Girls U8) and Reishi Boy Polan (Boys U14).

However, the older Velarde learned that the Asean + tournament will push through as scheduled though the titles they are supposed to give to the winners are no longer offered.

The qualifiers are scheduled to undergo a 10-day training session in Manila starting May 10-20 before leaving for Thailand.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph