Frayna, Torre get PSC cash incentives

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission will reward Grandmaster Eugene Torre and the country’s first woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna cash bonus for their feats in the recent 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.

PSC chairman Butch Ramirez yesterday told The STAR the 64-year-old Torre will receive P100,000 for winning the bronze on board three in the men’s division while Frayna will get P50,000 for becoming the first Filipina to obtain the WGM and men’s International Master titles.

“The biennial Olympiad bronze is worth P100,000 while a Grandmaster title is something new but she (Frayna) will be given P50,000,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez said Torre and Frayna will also make a courtesy call on President Duterte.

Josephine Medina, a native of Marikina, who also won the bronze in table tennis in the ongoing Rio Paralympics, is also set to join Torre and Frayna in their Palace visit.

Torre scored 10 out of 11 points on nine victories and two draws while Frayna notched seven of 11 points in the Baku Olympiad.

It was Torre’s fourth medal following his silver medal feat in the 1974 Nice Olympiad where he also became Asia’s first ever GM. He also took the bronze in the 1980 Malta and 1986 Dubai Olympiads on the top board.

Torre said he would’ve bagged the gold if the formula used was percentages and not performance rating.

Former teammate GM Wesley So, now representing the US, took the gold while Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi bagged the silver on board three.

“When I won my first medal, the formula used was percentage. If that was used in Baku, I would have won the gold,” said Torre in yesterday’s thanksgiving party hosted by NCFP officials Butch Pichay and lawyer Ruel Canobas at the Brickyard in Quezon City.

“But I’m still happy because Wesley took the gold,” he added.