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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.
Florencio Campomanes on Sunday, January 28,
during the FIDE Presidential Board meeting in Antalya
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:
Florencio Basa Campomanes Dear Ali, My stay in Antalya confirms the great expectations your friends in FIDE have about your future in chess in the world. I will leave the details to our dinner this evening. Going without saying is my many thanks for the warm and generous hospitality of the Turkish Chess Federation under your leadership. Your organisation of the National Age Group Championship has very few equals in the 126 countries I have visited all these 50 years. Congratulations! Sincerely |
