CHDM chess tourney a success
Players from five districts take part
The Chris Hani District hosted the first provincial chess tournament with 253 competitors on Saturday and Sunday at Thobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre in Komani.
The competition took place between Nelson Mandela Bay, Chris Hani District, Sarah Baartman, OR Tambo and Amatole.
However, Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) had pros that dominated the competition by scooping eight trophies. Sarah Baartman, who were the second runner-ups, walked away with four trophies.
The competition was held for the U8, U12, U14, U16, U18, U20 and seniors for both male and female.
According to Eastern Cape (EC) Chess interim committee president Luzuko Ndinise, the tournament was supposed to take place last year.
“All regions were given an opportunity to host the event, but I supposed none of them were prepared to,” Ndinise said. “At the beginning of the year I volunteered for Chris Hani to host it, but I made it clear that we had no experience of hosting a tournament of such high calibre.
“I mentioned that our children struggled to travel to tournaments, especially to places like Nelson Mandela Bay, due to lack of funds.”
Not being able to compete in tournaments regularly, he said, made them return to the streets.
Ndinise said this was how the interim committee bought the proposal. However, in spite of sewage overflow at the entrance gates which was left unattended, and unhygienic ablution facilities at the centre which the competitors were not happy about, the event went well.
“Nelson Mandela Bay has been strong throughout the years. They have the expertise. Buffalo City Metro and MNB have existed for a long time and that is why they are more developed. NMB and Sarah Baartman had made a good impression, he said, by bringing parents to support their children.
He said Sarah Baartman was well prepared, while Chris Hani and OR Tambo were new in the tournament.
“We formed provincial teams from the different age-groups of the district. We will be competing against other provinces in Kimberly in December.”
EC chess acting secretary Petrus Stuurman said they had decided to host the tournament because they wanted to have a provincial structure.
“We wanted to have a proper provincial structure and to select teams, ten players for male and female for every age group to represent the province.”