Former national champion, Suneetha Wijesuriya has been awarded the Women FIDE Master title for her performance at the Chess Olympiad in Manila 1992, after a lapse of 20 years.
Luxman Wijesuriya, the Secretary of Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, revealed this to reporters on Sunday.
“In the Chess Olympiad, in 1992, Suneetha Wijesuriya won the Gold medal, claiming 6.5 points out of 8 points possible. Wijesuriya received a golden prize for her untiring work towards the success of Chess in Sri Lanka. She celebrated the 20 years of winning the Gold medal at the Chess Olympiad couple of days ago, at Colombo Hilton, felicitating 20 highest Chess performers in Sri Lanka,” a statement said.
Wijesuriya has been instrumental in promoting chess by conducting workshops and coaching clinics with the help of Russian Centre in Colombo.
She found the Sri Lanka Chess Foundation and served as its president for many years before being awarded the WFM title after world chess federation was notified by Sri Lanka Chess Federation of the new rule change.
Wijesuriya won a Gold medal in 1992 and 7 wins out of 11 Games at the Chess Olympiad 1996 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Congrats!