MANILA: United States-based Grandmaster (GM) Julio Catalino Sadorra will banner Team Philippines again in the 44th World Chess Olympiad scheduled from Sept. 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungary.
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) has named Sadorra to lead the squad composed of reigning national champion International Master (IM) Daniel Quizon, GM John Paul Gomez and IMs Paolo Bersamina and Jan Emmanuel Garcia. Head coach is GM Eugene Torre.
Sadorra, 37, was top board player in Tromso, Norway (2014); Baku, Azerbaijan (2016); and Batumi, Georgia (2018).
He skipped the tournament in Chennai, India (2022) and the online editions in 2020 and 2021 due to his commitments with family and the University of Texas at Dallas where he is the chess team coach.
‘We’re thrilled to have him (Sadorra) back,’ said NCFP chief executive officer GM Jayson Gonzales.
The women’s team is comprised of WGM Janelle Frayna, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Woman FIDE Master Ruelle Canino, the reigning national women’s champi
on. Shania Mae Mendoza, Kylen Joy Mordido, Bernadette Galas, Marie Antoinette San Diego, Allaney Jia Doroy and Cherry Ann Mejia are contesting the last two berths in the ongoing double-round robin tournament at the PACE in Mindanao Ave, Quezon City.
‘We listed Mordido and Galas for now but we will change them with the Top 2 players of the elimination,’ said Gonzales, the national women’s coach. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency
