CHESSS MASTER KAJOL MAKES RIGHT MOVES
A GRADE 3 pupil won two awards at the recent Johannesburg Women in Sports Awards virtual ceremony on Friday.
Kajol Naidoo, nine, of Fourways, was awarded the School Sports Athlete of the Year and the Sports Achiever of the Year accolades in chess.
She is a pupil at Radford House in Fairlands.
Kajol is already a multi award winner and her parents could not be more proud of her.
“We are grateful and blessed that she has found a talent that is able to take her to places,” said Gerard Naidoo, her father.
He said Kajol had a few accolades, including being the youngest South African chess champion.
“Last year, she earned a gold medal at the African Youth Chess Championship in Windhoek and she represented the country in various championships, including in China and India.”
Naidoo said Kajol was mature beyond her years and that her exposure and love for chess started at the age of four. She learnt the basics from him.
“Kajol was soon in need of professional coaching, first at her Chessnuts Club, and then privately with coach Craig Bornheim, a South African Champion and a highly rated player.”
Besides chess and athletics, Naidoo said his daughter enjoyed running, hiking and riding at bike parks.
“She is a Jill of all trades and has a love and dedication to anything she puts her mind to. That is how she is able to balance her love for sports and academics.”
He said Kajol was often up at 5am on weekdays and had an intensive routine that often involved yoga, meditation and praying.
Naidoo, a property manager at MTN, said due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions, Kajol could not represent South Africa at the World Cadet Championship in Georgia and the Schools Individual Championship in Peru, which she qualified for.
Her mother, Dr Tamya Naidu, said she was equally proud of her daughter and was glad that she was following her passion. “I had the same passion throughout my school years, as I was active in sports, though I never really went far with it,” said Naidu.
Both Kajol’s parents are formerly from Durban.
Kajol said she loved chess because it allowed her to think, adding that she was proud to be raising the South African flag high. “It means a lot for me that I am able to represent my country through what I love. It makes me want to push harder and enhance my career.”
Kajol’s advice to young chess hopefuls is to “have goals and follow them until your dream is complete”.
The awards were hosted by the Johannesburg Sports Confederation in conjunction with the Joburg Metropolitan Council and Futballing Girls.