MANILA, Philippines — Hinirang si Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino bilang Honorary Member ng prestihiyosong International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Ito ang pinakamataas na parangal na ibinigay ng 195-member FIDE General Assembly sa sinumang chess official.
“It’s an honor to be conferred such award from the FIDE, but this honor is not for me personally, but for Philippine chess, Philippine sports and the entire country in general,” wika ni Tolentino.
Nagsilbi ang Tagaytay City Mayor bilang FIDE general secretary sa kanyang termino bilang pangulo ng FIDE Southeast Asian Zone ilang taon na ang nakakaraan habang tumatayong National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) secretary-general.
“It was also an honor to have served the FIDE, one of the international federations with the most number of member countries,” dagdag pa ni Tolentino.
Ibinigay niya ang kanyang NCFP position sa anak niyang si Cavite Vice-Governor Athena Tolentino na iniluklok kamakailan bilang NCFP first vice president sa ilalim ni chairman-president Butch Pichay.
Kinilala rin ng FIDE ang serbisyo at liderato ni Tolentino sa POC at pamamahala sa Southeast Asian Games Federation noong 2019.