South identifies 60 reps for PIS chess
Southern Region Chess League (SRCL) has identified 60 players to represent the region at Presidential Initiative on Sports (PIS) National Championship.
The players were outstanding during the qualifiers held on Sunday at St Patrick’s Academy in Blantyre which attracted 118 participants from 20 schools.
Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) schools coordinator Magret Ngugama said top-10 players from each category have made it to the national finals scheduled for May 26 at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC).
The qualifiers competed in Under-12, Under-16 and Open categories for boys and girls. The Under-16 category had the highest number of contestants; 38 boys and 28 girls.
“It was great to note a good turnout and high level of competition displayed by the pupils on the day. It was for these reasons that the SRCL has decided to send 10 ambassadors from each of the six sections,” she said.
St Columba Primary School pupil Yewo Sanga, who won the best junior sports person accolade during the inaugural Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) Awards, will lead the Under-12 boys’ category after finishing top with five points from five-straight wins while Daisy Huwa of Alipo Private School emerged top in the girls’ section after winning all her seven games.
In the Under-16 boys’ category, Blessings Kamanga of Kalibu Academy reigned supreme with five-straight wins whereas Joyce Banda Foundation’s (JBF) Faith Gondwe did the same in the girls’ division with 4.5 points.
The open boys’ category saw Songwe Steven of Kalibu Academy taking the ultimate glory with five-straight wins. However, the tightest battle for the top slot was in the open girls’ section where Janet Bayisikolo relied a Buccholz tie-breaking system to pip Olivia Kamphale of Jacaranda Primary School and top the ladder with 4.5 points.
