MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on Wednesday expressed its sadness at the untimely passing of Filipina chess player Arianne Caoili, who died in Armenia after a car crash.

Caoili, 33, was involved in a car crash last March 15 and underwent several operations before passing away. The wife of Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian, Caoili represented the Philippines until 2004, when she switched federations to Australia.

In a statement, the PSC expressed its gratitude to Caoili for "inspiring a generation of chess players."

"She is well-known for leading the women's Philippine team in the World Chess Olympiads until 2004 at a young age," the PSC said.

Caoili was a woman International Master who married Aronian in 2017.