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Photo: PCAAF president Natalie Sia (right) and World Table Tennis Youth champion Keith Ryhnn Cruz hold the Philippine flag as a tribute to the PH Xiangqi Team that will compete in the World Championship in Houston, Texas on December 19-25. Among those who supported the sendoff were the officials of the two associations led by founding chairman Chan Cuan (fifth from the right).
A Chinese game but fits for Filipino players.
Chan Cuan himself, founder of the Filipino Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF), is confident that Filipinos have great potential to bring home glory in the Xiangqi game – a traditional Chinese chess game that has been play by Filipinos for a long time.
“Just like wushu, back then it wasn’t very well known but now, we have world champions. The same goes for Xiangqi, in the future, we will have a Filipino world champion,” said Cuan, who is also honorary chairman of the Philippine Wushu Federation, during the special edition of the ‘Pandesal Forum’ hosted by columnist/entrepreneur Wilson Flores held this Saturday, which was also the sendoff for the Philippine Team that will compete in the 18th World Xiangqi Championship in Houston, Texas on December 19-25.
Led by Philippine Xiangqi Federation president Wilson Zhou and International Grandmaster Engr. Asi Ching, the Philippine delegation will be joining in the biggest tournament of Xiangqi which is expected to be participated by more than 30 countries led by China and Vietnam.
Due to this, the FCAAF, under the leadership of the newly elected President Natalie Sia, promotes programs and partnerships with other organizations to strengthen the ‘awareness campaign’ because she is also confident that Xiangqi (Chinese-traditional chess) is a sport that Pinoys can dominate and bring honor to the country in the future.
Sia insisted that Xiangqi is among the 18 sports that are under the administration of FCAAF and activities are in full swing to make it more known not only to the Filipino-Chinese community but also to the whole country as the game is very similar to the Western Chess which is currently a regular member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“The FCAAF program is in full swing to help the Xiangqi Federation in their goal of introducing sports to more Filipinos. So even in their participation in the international competition, we are ready to guide and help,” said Sia at the forum held at the Philippine Cultural College in Manila.
“Xiangqi is part of the Chinese tradition and for many years it has been played in the Philippines and around the world. Now, we have an opportunity to raise awareness for the game,” added Sia.
With the guidance of PCC Principal Dr. Polly Sy, the school established a training center for those who want to learn and practice Xiangqi. The training center is open to all who wish to learn the game.
Other officials also attended the program including PCAAF Chairman of the Table Tennis Committee and TATAND Honorary President Charlie Lim, TATAND Honorary President Wilson Tan and Joey Sy, and reigning World Table Tennis champion Keith Rhynn Cruz who were given cash incentives by Cuan and Sia.
Tan, also the Vice President of PXF, revealed that the PXF is already applying for membership in the Philippine Olympic Committee since the recognition of the POC will boost further their effort to represent the country in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned events like the SEA Games and the Asian Games.
Currently, xiangqi is just part of the chess discipline, even though it has its own separate International Federation –the World Xiangqi Federation (WXF).
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