Campomanes hospitalized after car accident

Campomanes arrived in Antalya, Turkey, on January 26 to participate in the FIDE Presidential Board meeting that was held there. On Friday, February 2nd he was due to leave and fly back to the Philippines, where he lives. He was picked up at 09:30 a.m. from the Limra Hotel, where all the board members resided. At 09:15 the driver of the car breaked sharply when an animal, probably a hare, jumped out of the bushes onto the street. The road was wet and the driver lost control of the car, which overturned and plunged over the side of the road. Campomanes, who was sitting in the back seat and not wearing a safety belt, was thrown out of the car, which was badly damaged. Miraculously the driver of the vehicle emerged from the wreck with minor injuries.

Campomanes suffered multiple fractures to bones in his legs, hands, neck and face. He was immediately driven to the nearby Kemer Anadolu Hospital by an ambulance that arrived just four minutes after the accident had occurred. When it was discovered that the injuries were not immediately life-threatening he was transferred to the Antalya Anadolu Hospital, which has better facilities. There he underwent a 7½ hour operation. Currently (Friday evening) he is still unconscious and being kept in that state until the morning. The doctors say that he is out of danger, but due to his advanced age – Campomanes will turn 80 on February 22nd – they still fear complications.

Playing in a blitz match against Casto Abundo (right) later that evening

The Turkish Chess Federation has informed FIDE about the condition of the Honorary President and assured them that Governor of Antalya and Mayor of Kemer will take care of Campomanes. "The Honorary President is under the treatment of the best doctors of Antalya, the Turkish Chess Federation is taking care and the best treatment will be made available," wrote Ali Nihat Yazici, the President of the TCF.

On the evening before his departure Campomanes wrote the following letter to Ali:

Contents as text:

Brief curriculum vitae of Florencio B. Campomanes

• Born 22 Feb 1927, Manila Philippines
• B.A., Cum laude, University of the Philippines, 1948
• M. A., Brown University, Prov., R.I. 1951
• Doctoral Studies, Georgetown University, Wash. B.C. 1949-1952
• Fullbright Guarantee, 1948
• Lecturer, (Political Science) University of the Philippines, 1954-1956
• Chess Columnist, Manila Times and Manila Chronicle, 1954-1961
• TV Producer – Host, “Chess Today” , PTV 4 Manila, 1973-1982
• Permanent Philippines Delegate to FIDE, 1956-1982
• FIDE Asian Zone President, 1960-1964
• FIDE Deputy President for Asia , 1974-1982
• FIDE President, 1982-1995
  
  FIDE Chairman, 1995-1996
• FIDE Honorary President 1996-...
• Philipinne Champion, 1956, 1960
• Tied 2nd-3rd with Edmar Mednis, New York State Championship, 1954
• International Arbiter, 1957
• Philippine Olympiad Team Member, New York State Championship, 1954
• International Arbiter, 1957
• Philippine Olympiad Team Member and/or Captain
  • Moscow 1956-Board 2, Munich1958-Board 3
  • Leipzig 1960-Board 1,Tel Aviv 1964-Board 4
  • Havana 1966-Board 4, Lugano 1968, Siegen 1970
  • Skopje 1978, Nice 1974, Haifa 1976, Buenos Aires 1978,
  • Malta 1980.
• Administered under FIDE: Olmypiad-Greece 1984,19888
  • Dubai - 1986 , Novi Sad-1990, Moscow-1994
• Organized for the Philippines, Manila 1992
  • World Championship, 1978
  • Interzonals, 1976, 1989
  • World Juniors 1974, 1987
  • First Asian Zonal, 1958
  • First Asian Junior Championship, 1977
• Raised FIDE Membership from 100’s to 150’s
• Raised US $13,000,000 for six Men’s World Championship in nine years: Moscow 1984-1985, Moscow 1985, London&Leningrad 1986
• Turned FIDE into a truly universal body by activity Asian,African, and Latin American Chess.