Wesley So interview on ChessBase

Wesley So, on his interview over at ChessBase, cited the Universiade incident, and remarked:
In 2013 I won a gold for the Philippines in the Universiade in Russia. Their first chess gold in like 50 years. The Philippine sport heads quarrelled over who was to get the glory for that win. In the end they could not agree so I was not formally recognized for winning it. It also came with a one million pesos award that I never got. I only received belated recognition for it in 2015. A nice politician convinced the senate to give me a plaque. But not the money. [Laughs]
Take a second look at the second sentence:
Their first chess gold in like 50 years.
The use of the word “their” instead of “our”, or perhaps the more neutral pronoun “its”, that to me suggests bitterness. But, can you blame the guy?