WINDHOEK – Following a short but fruitful visit to Namibia in January, representatives of the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) in Africa are set to continue discussions over three days with a delegation from Namibia, which started yesterday in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Namibian delegation that is to hold talks with the KCF in South Africa’s city of gold includes Charles Eichab, McLean Handjaba and Otto Nakapunda, who recently arrived from similar talks in the United Arab Emirates hosted by current the president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. The KCF is an initiative spearheaded by former chess world champion, Garry Kasparov as part of his campaign to win this year’s FIDE presidency, against current and long standing FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who has been FIDE president since November 1995. The talks between the Namibia Chess federation (NCF) and the former world champion and his team are said to include a number of productive agenda points all directed towards educational efforts to introduce chess in school programmes in Namibia.
The visit to Johannesburg comes just weeks before the start of the Premier Chess League (PCL). Word on the street is that a number of new clubs have shown interest in signing up for this year’s PCL, but very few have completed registration. During the maiden season, 9 clubs took part and played 18 rounds on a home-and-away round-robin basis. Organisers of the league are confident of having at least 10 clubs this year and urge all clubs, new and old to register soon in order for the first leg of the PCL to kick-off. This year marks the second time a chess league is to be played in Namibia in a very long time after its reintroduction early last year. With plans underway to decentralise the league, sponsors are said to be eager to come on board for a nationwide chess league. The nationalising of chess and having it played in every single corner of Namibia is but one of the many goals set forth by the current NCF executive committee, which promises nothing but an auspicious year for the growth of Namibian chess.
Meanwhile, the NCF is busy with a membership drive aimed at generating much-needed income, as well as creating an extensive database of clubs, academies, schools, players, trainers, arbiters and organizers. “We aim to generate N$50,000 through this initiative to enable us to acquire and successfully run an office,” said Nakapunda, adding that the NCF cannot rely solely on sponsors. “The acquisition of an office is imperative if we are to achieve our set goals and objectives. I therefore like to appeal to all chess lovers to put their money where their mouths are and become paid up members of the NCF.” At the first-ever national chess council meeting held last October, the agreed annual fee structure was determined as follows: Clubs (including schools and academies) pay N$500, individual adult members pay N$120 with individual scholars set to pay N$60. Non-members will pay double the registration fee of at NCF-sanctioned tournaments.
By Staff Reporter