Priests to train kids for chess tourney
ALLAHABAD: Priests of the ancient Kalyani Devi temple here will impart training to kids for state and national level chess championships, said head priest of the temple.
The 1500-year-old temple, apart from drawing thousands of devotees, is also known for its association with the sport with many of the priests having mastered the art over the years.
“We’ll be selecting boys and girls for an Under-13 state level championship to be held in Ghaziabad from May 11 to 13. The selection will be held near Durga Puja Park in Attarsuiya on May 6 from 10 am. Two boys and two girls from each district of the state will be selected for the championship to be organised by UP Chess Association. We will then give them proper training,” said Pandit Shyamji Pathak, a chess player and the head priest of the temple.
He said the winners will be eligible for national level competition. Pathak said the tradition of imparting training to budding chess players and wrestlers was started by his father and head priest late Pandit Ramji Pathak nearly three decades ago.
One of the organisers of Under-13 championship, Anandji Tandon said in the next few years they would make Allahabad the chess capital of UP. He said many renowned chess players like Dinesh Sharma, who is International Master, Gajendra Singh Chauhan, Hariom Sharma, ND Singh and Pradeep Pathak, who became district champion at the age of 14, mastered the technique with the guidance of priests of Kalyani Devi temple.