Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Chess Association will celebrate its 40th year of formation on December 23, at the Institute Menezes Braganza Hall, Panjim, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A celebration-cum-felicitation programme will be held on the occasion wherein the organisers, title players, players who were State champions in open category and in women category, National medal winners and sponsors will be felicitated.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will felicitate various personalities in the presence of Minister for Sports Manohar Azgaonkar, Curchorem MLA and Chairman of GTDC and GCA President Nilesh Cabral, guest of honours Dilip Salgaoncar and Srinivas Dempo, Councillor for chess in schools, World Chess Federation and President, Asian Zone 3.7 Ravindra Dongre, AICF Treasurer and Secretary of GCA Kishor Bandekar.
Speaking to the media, Cabral informed that the GCA’s dream project chess in school has already been rolled out in last August with GVM Institute, Ponda, coming forward with all necessary assistance.
“This is the first phase of implementation at secondary school which we want to extend to all their 21 schools and colleges. The association also intends to implement chess in maximum number of private schools and workout with the government to extend the same to all govt schools,” Cabral said on the agenda planned for the celebration.
“A Grand Master tournament will be also held wherein top Grand Master from Europe, Russia and USA will participate along with around 1200 chess players from across the country in line with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata which will benefit the Goan players to get the exposure.”
“GCA has already procured 175 chess clocks under the scheme of AICF at 50 per cent of the rate by investing around Rs 2.75 lakh in order to create best of the infrastructure for the tournament,” he added.
“A souvenir will be released on the occasion in order to stabilise the financial position of the association to serve the chess community in a better way,” he disclosed.
Speaking on the promotion of chess in the State, Cabral said that the association has plans to train and recruit additional chess coaches at various taluka places to train young players.
“We are planning to set and regularise the chess academies and also to train private coaches and PE teachers to meet the requirement of training for which the association has asked the government to provide office space and pursue the affiliation with SAG of all talukas so that it will be self-sufficient in carrying out development at taluka level.”
“We are also planning to pay the allowances to the players who are participating at Nationals before they leave for the event. Presently, it takes lot of time for reimbursement from the SAG and players are finding it difficult to organise the funds for their tours,” he concluded.
