‘Attracting Emirati talent is the big challenge’
Top Dubai Chess Club official traces it’s roots and shares future plans
PUBLISHED: 18:12 MAY 9, 2015 Gulf News
BY K.R. NAYAR, CHIEF CRICKET WRITER
Dubai: Come May 16, the Dubai Chess and Cultural Club will enter its 35th year since they were officially recognised as an independent entity as part of the UAE Chess Federation. This club, located out of Al Mamzar since 1999, has been nurturing talented players over the years and hosts some of the best tournaments – local and international.
With the best of facilities to play the sport, the club serves as the reservoir of top players for the UAE national team. Refusing to rest on the laurels, they are now planning to reach out to more players through innovative methods.
In an interview to Gulf News, Yahya Mohammad, Manager of Development and Planning of the Dubai Chess and Cultural Club speaks about the effort that this club has put in to be one of the finest sporting organisations in the UAE and their plans for the future. Mohammad, groomed by the club from the age of seven, went on to become an Arab Chess Champion in the Under-18 category and represented UAE from 1996 to 2009, and wants to reward his club with his best effort. Excerpts:
How did this club, which is now an internationally acclaimed one as of the best in the sport, make its presence felt?
Dubai Chess and Culture Club actually started in 1979 but it was a part the UAE Chess Federation. We had just one small room and those days there was no such thing as a chess club in Dubai. As the UAE Chess Federation was located here, all chess lovers used to visit the Federation. It was on May 16, 1981 when we were accepted officially by the supreme council for Youth and Sports.
How did you manage a building of your own and begin your activities?
We moved into into this building (in Mamzar) in May 1999. We were supported by Dubai government and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, the honorary president of the club supported us on a regular basis. Without his support, we could not have reached where we are now. Today through this great facility we have promoted the sport in a big way and we are grateful to Shaikh Hamdan.
What are the activities of the club?
Our activities are year-long. Our training goes on round the year and we host many local and regional events. We host two main tournaments which are internationally recognised like the Dubai Open chess tournament, which just got over in April and Dubai Juniors, another top-notch tournament for the junior player under-14 years which will be held in August this year.
Today, our international events are so popular that players from no less than 40 countries compete in it. Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion, had played in the junior event in 2004. In fact, we have earned a reputation as a tournament known for discovering talented players.
Full article here.