(L to R) Toledo Xignex Trojans team captain Bonn Rainauld Tibod, team co-owner John Signe, and team manager Felix Poloyapoy. | By Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Toledo Xignex Trojans aim to produce Cebu’s next Grand Master (GM) in chess besides becoming the best professional chess team in the country.
The Trojans recently bagged the Southern Conference title of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Wesley So Cup and went on to finish as overall first-runners-up behind the Pasig City King Pirates.
For the Trojans team co-owner, John Signe, winning the southern conference title was already a huge feat for them, but their ultimate goal was to produce the next Cebuano chess wonder.
“Our ultimate goal is to produce the next grand masters from Cebu through this chess movement. It may be from Toledo, bisan asa ang importante, ma promote nato ang desire, passion, just by playing chess,” said Signe in a recent interview.
“Grabe ang chess, naay discipline involved. Ang practice [is] taking a step back and look at the game,” he added.
With that in mind, Signe is encouraging the Toledo Trojan players to help mentor youngsters who are eager to master their chess skills.
They’re planning to collaborate with schools and universities throughout Cebu to find potential talents which they could develop.
“Akong gusto kaning mga players namo, kaning team namo maka tabang pud ug mentor sa mga batan-on. Mao na akong dream. We’re dreaming of entering into schools and universities to find potential talents unya among i-mold, i-mentor,” Signe said.
Fascinatingly, his fellow Toledo Trojan co-owner Jeah Gacang already initiated a grassroots program in Toledo City.
In fact, their grassroots program in Toledo City already yielded success when they won three gold medals courtesy of their players Apple and Dona Jane Rubin.
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