PH genius nabawasan: Wesley So, opisyal nang US citizen

Isa nang ganap na United States citizen si Super Grandmaster Wesly So, ayon sa US Chess Federation ngayong Biyernes.

Natanggap ni So, na ngayon ay naninirahan sa Excelsior, Minnesota, ang mga dokumento noong Pebrero 26, na hudyat ng pagwawakas ng alamat sa pagitan ng Philippine sporting authorities at chess Super Grandmaster.

Ang pagkakaroon ng isang magandang kinabukasan para sa sarili ang naging dahilan ng 27-anyos upang maging isang American citizen at masunggaban ang mga pagkakataon na hindi niya nakuha sa Pilipinas.

“I love that anyone can strive to succeed. You are not held back by your color, lack of connections or the amount of money you have. If you work hard, you have a better chance of making it here than anywhere else in the world. I came here ready to work hard, and it turned out just as I dreamed,” sambit ni So sa isang panayam sa US Chess Federation.

“That does not mean I don’t love the Philippines. I have good memories from there. But I did not have the connections needed to succeed in that culture. I was from the province, not a city boy. Had no money etc. I wanted to go further, and there was only one country a nobody can make it. The USA!”

Kinatawan ni So ang Pilipinas sa mga nagdaan panahon subalit lumipat sa United States noong 2014, dalawang taon pagkatapos ng kanyang unang pagbisita sa bansa nang siya ay ma-recruit  bilang freshman ng Webstar University.

“I want to give back to a country that has been so good to me. From the moment I landed here I was encouraged and enabled to become better than I was. I like this attitude and the tremendous generosity of American culture,” saad ni So.