Campomanes home soon for 80th birthday

International Chess Federation (FIDE) honorary president Florencio Campomanes, who underwent surgery following a vehicular accident in Turkey the other day, wants to be home in Manila before his 80th birthday on Feb. 22.

According to FIDE officer Toti Abundo who is now in Turkey, Campomanes was declared in stable condition after a delicate seven-hour operation that repaired two fractured bones on his neck.

"He wants to be home for his birthday," said Abundo of Campomanes, who served as FIDE president from 1982 to 1995 (not 1984-1996 as previously reported).

No medical bulletin has been released although Campomanes reportedly suffered other injuries in his arms and legs.

Campomanes was catching his flight back to Manila when the vehicle that was taking him to the airport went out of control on a slippery curve.

Campomanes was in Turkey to attend the FIDE executive board meeting. In 1990, the Filipino chess official met a similar accident in South Africa, and was required to wear a neck brace for some time.

Turkish Chess Federation president Ali Nihat Yazici, who hosted the FIDE meeting, assured that Campomanes is in proper care.

"The honorary president is under treatment of the best doctors of Antalya. The Turkish Chess Federation is taking care (of him) and the best treatment will be made," said Yazici in a message posted at a chess website.

Before the accident, Yazici said Campomanes even wrote him a letter signifying his appreciation of how the Turks handled the board meeting.

"My stay in Antalya confirms the great expectations your friends in FIDE have about your future in the world, I will leave the details to our dinner this evening," said Campomanes in the handwritten letter. "Going without saying is my many thanks for the warm and generous hospitality of the Turkish Chess Federation under your leadership."

"Your organization of the National Age Group Championship has very few equals in the 126 countries I have visited all these 50 years. Congratulations," Campomanes added.