Relief for chess players as federation secures tickets for Olympiad
Kenya will participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad that starts Thursday at Mamallapuram, Chennai City in India after Chess Kenya secured air tickets for the team.
Chess Kenya president Bernard Wanjala had last week expressed fears that Kenya may not feature in the two-week, biennial, world event due to lack of funds.
He said the federation requires Sh9million to send a team to the Olympiad.
But speaking to Nation Sport Tuesday, Wanjala said the federation had through its own arrangement secured tickets for all the 10 players (five men and five women), two captains and four officials.
He said the High Commission of India in Nairobi has also cleared and issued them with visas, thus they will depart the country on Wednesday afternoon.
“Through our own arrangement, we managed to get air tickets so we will be traveling to India for the competition,” said Wanjala, adding that the World Chess governing body, Fide is catering for all teams’ accommodation and meals.
A record 187 countries will take part in the competition with 188 teams in the open section and 162 in the women category.
Just like other local sport federations, Chess Kenya were forced to look for alternatives in funding the trip after the national government in June said that its coffers in the Sports Fund are depleted.
Wanjala said they are still waiting for communication from the government on whether the team will be provided with uniforms and allowances after they made another appeal.
In the open section, Kenya will be represented by the reigning national champion Martin Njoroge, Ben Nguku (KCB), Deadly Bishops’ and former Chess Kenya Chairman Githinji Hinga, Isaac Mukoko and teenager Robert Mcligeyo (KCB).
They will be captained by Candidate Master Ben Magana.
Kenya’s representatives in the women’s section are: Woman Candidate Master Joyce Nyaruai, Woman Fide Master Sasha Mongeli, World Women’s Amateur champion Madelta Glenda, Jully Mutisya (Nakuru Chess Club) and Cynthia Awino (Technical University of Kenya). It will be captained by Moses Andiwoh. BY DAILY NATION
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