Gambia to host International Tournament

Gambia: GCA to Host Chess International Tournament
BY ARFANG MS CAMARA, 26 FEBRUARY 2014

The Gambia Chess Association (GCA) is set to host the Gambia Chess Open tournament from the 28 February to 2 March 2014 at the Badala Park Hotel.

The competition organised by the Gambia Chess Association and sponsored by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), is targeting 40 competitors from the Gambia and the sub-region.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday at the Serekunda West Mini Stadium ahead of the event, Mawdo Sallah, the secretary general of the GCA, disclosed that prizes would be given to the best ten players at the end of the competition. He described Chess as one of the oldest games, recalling that one Uncle Mike introduced it in The Gambia in the early 1940s.

Since then, he said, The Gambia has been participating until the GCA was de-registered by FIDE in 1986. He added that they rejoined FIDE in November 2012, thanks to the Gambia National Olympics Committee (GNOC) who paid all their arrears.

According to him, when they took office in July 2012, their main objective was to re-register with FIDE, adding that they also needed to have arbiters (referees) and as such wrote to FIDE who approved their request.

“The Gambia now has 4 trained qualified arbiters who are expected to serve as arbiter in the competition and also has 4 rated players who are qualified to compete in any chess competition in the world,” he informed reporters.

The Gambia Open, Sallah went on, will help expose their players to international competitions, and they will be sending a team to Norway in August to represent the country in the Olympiad.

The secretary general of the GCA expressed hope that the Gambian players will do well in order for most of the prizes to stay in the country during the Gambia Open, adding that the Gambia players are ready for the competition.

Sallah also said that they aim to introduce Chess in schools and in the Gambia Services before the end of the year, he pointed out, while inviting everyone to learn the game so they can know the sport and start playing it.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201402261471.html