WINDHOEK – The year 2014 may see the rise of chess as a popular sport in the country, according to officials of the Namibia Chess Federation (NCF).
Last month the federation kicked off the new season with its first ever sports club management workshop in the capital. The one-day gathering was sponsored by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The workshop was aimed at educating the public on setting up, managing and effectively running successful clubs.
The informative seminar was facilitated by former director of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Wolfgang Kleine, who stressed the importance of effectiveness in any club or organization in order for it to grow. Among a variety of other tips, Kleine said chess clubs can only flourish if they apply basic organizational principles in their day-to-day running. The workshop was hailed as a success by participants, but the president of the NCF, Otto Nakapunda, was not exactly pleased with the poor turn-out by club members and said unique opportunities such as the workshop are meant to educate the public and to aid the growth of chess in the country.
According to Nakapunda the federation has a number of other seminars planned in different parts of the country to educate interested members of the public on the fundamentals of chess, as well as the importance of forming chess clubs.
In addition, he explained that the NCF will kick-start the Premier Chess League this month as part of its efforts to uplift this sporting discipline. He called on existing chess clubs to register.
By Staff Reporter