Young chess ‘Masters’ visit Sport Minister
Sunday, March 1 2015
In recognition of the ‘Master’ status attained by two young chess players, Minister of Sport Brent Sancho welcomed a courtesy call from teenagers Vishnu Singh and Javanna Smith at the offices of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.
At the CAC Under-20 Championships in December 2014, Vishnu and Javanna both earned the prestigious International Master (IM) and Woman FIDE Master (WFM) titles respectively from the World Chess Federation or FIDE. The achievement was not only momentous in the chess careers of both youngsters but also for Trinidad and Tobago, who can now boast of its first IM and WFM titles.
Sancho was high in praise of the young ‘Masters’ during the courtesy call, saying: “We are very proud of you and we’re eager to contribute to your future success in the sport. I’m very interested in the idea of introducing chess clubs to schools, where they don’t already exist, in order to add another dimension of sport to students’ curriculum. Chess may not be considered a sport but I am aware of the role it can play in developing critical thought and a strategic approach to whatever sport you play.”
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association, Anderson Gordon indicated to the Minister that the CAC Youth Festival is to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in August 2015, making it an ideal opportunity to showcase our local talent and prepare them as well for the competition.
The Minister agreed to meet further with the Association’s executive to have a better understanding of their programmes and plans for 2015, and to determine how best the Ministry could help them to achieve their objectives.
Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,207655.html