By Michael Uugwanga
Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region hosted a community chess tournament over the weekend as organisers seek to promote the sport among young people in the region.
The tournament, held at the Zangata Complex, attracted eight participants, mostly youngsters between the ages of eight and 16.
Two of the participants were female, while Grade Two learner Elizabeth Simuketa was the youngest competitor.
Organisers Isa Saidi and Vilho Simuketa told Confidente that the tournament served as a pilot event to gauge interest in chess and encourage more young people to take up the sport.
“The main aim was to further popularise the game of chess in the region. A total of eight participants took part in the event. It was mainly the youth, from the age of eight, and only two were female, with the youngest being Elizabeth Simuketa, who is in Grade Two,” Saidi said.
Saidi said the tournament was organised without sponsorship and focused mainly on giving players an opportunity to develop their skills.
“The event had no sponsors, but it was a playing tournament to sharpen skills, test the waters and promote the development of the game,” he said.
Organisers said they now plan to establish more chess teams across Kavango West ahead of a larger tournament planned for December.
“First, the drive is to have many chess teams in Kavango West and then hold a major chess tournament in December, before we start talking about the two regions. There is a tournament that we want to host in December,” Simuketa said.
The organisers hope to use the December tournament to attract more participants from across the region and provide young players with more opportunities to compete.
Bank Windhoek is among the corporate sponsors supporting chess development nationally, although the Nkurenkuru tournament did not receive sponsorship.
Organisers said their immediate focus will be on increasing participation and establishing more chess teams across Kavango West.
