Kreigor, Kamati dominate Rundu annual tourney
Chess
Kreigor Simpire and Grace Kamati were crowned champions of the Rundu Chess Community (now renamed Kavango East Chess Association) Annual Tournament, recently hosted at Rundu Secondary School.The tournament saw 30 players from Sarusungu Secondary School, Jafet Haiyambo Primary School and Zealous Tutorial Centre put their strategic skills to the test in a battle for top honours in the Open, Women’s and Junior sections.
Right at the heels of Kreigor was Petrus Jacob, who clinched a silver medal ahead of bronze medallist Mundelu Kambinda to round out the podium.
In the Women’s section, Rundu Secondary School pupil Kamati secured gold ahead of her only rival, Rene Gariseb from Sarusungu Combined School, who settled for silver.
The Junior section was won by Jafet Katanga from Rundu Secondary School, followed by Elias Manuel of Jafet Haiyambo Primary School in second and Rafael Joaquim of Sarusungu Combined School in third.
Milestone
In a significant milestone for the community and the Kavango East Region, the Namibia Chess Federation (NCF) this month officially appointed community chess organiser Petrus Kawende as the Kavango East Chess Association chairperson.
Kawende welcomed the appointment, saying it brings credibility to his hosting of chess events in the region, which he said is mostly frowned upon by school leaders.
“We now have an official green light from the NCF, an affiliate of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), to host our monthly chess tournaments, and we will hopefully no longer be met with resistance from teachers avoiding learners from participating in chess,” he said.
Support chess activities
Kawende noted that the monthly chess competitions are for a good cause, as they are merely for the sake of keeping players active.
He further praised the efforts of Rundu Secondary School principal Lorraine Kruse for offering the school’s venue to them for free to host the tournament.
“Without her, we would not have a venue for our chess tournaments because most schools charge for the use of their venues. We would also like to extend great appreciation to her for paying registration fees for her learners,” said Kawende.
He noted that registration fees remain a persistent challenge and urged parents, teachers and the wider community to support chess activities.
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