African Junior Chess Championships |07 January 2016

Silva, Wafa champs

Angolan David Silva and Egyptian Shahenda Wafa are the male and female 2015 African Junior Chess Championship winners after nine days of intense competition at the ex-National Assembly Hall at the National Library.

Chess International Master (IM) Silva had a great tournament to finish ahead of all his rivals at the tournament with 8.0 points. He held off the challenge of Egypt’s Adham Fawzy (7 points) and compatriot Cristiano Aguilar (6 points) who finished second and third respectively.

This was Silva’s second win in a row at these championships to retain the title he won last year.

“I am very happy to have won as the competition was quite tough, but I managed to get the win in the end,” said Silva, after being presented with his gold medal and cup during the prize-giving ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Girls’ champion Wafa, who is also a Women International Master (WIM), also received her awards at the ceremony on Tuesday after she finished the tournament with 8.5 points.

Angola’s Maria Domingos was second (7.5 points), while another Egyptian, Ehab Tasneem, won the bronze medal with 7.5 points.

A very shy Wafa said she was happy with the win.

“The competition was very difficult and I had to play at my best to be able to win,” she added.

Seychelles’ best performer was Jesse Eulentin who finished with 4 points claiming ninth place in the 13-player standings.

The other Seychellois female chesslers – Elgine Crea (4points), Liza Adeline (3 points), Elza Hoareau (2 points), and R Snegha Pillay (1 point) – occupied 10th to 13th places.

In the male competition contested by 24 chesslers, there were six Seychellois and Keith Vital was highest ranked among them, finishing 19th with 3.5 points.

Akash Chetty (3 points), Timothy Kate (3 points), Samuel Nalletamby (2 points), Harish Pillay (1.5 points) and Richiraj KrishnaMoorthy (0 point) were ranked 20th to 24th overall.

The prize-giving ceremony took place at the Maison Football auditorium and in attendance were the chief executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) Giovanna Rousseau, Seychelles Olympics and Commonwealth Games Association (Socga) president Antonio Gopal, the chairman of the Seychelles Chess Association (SCA) Benjamin Hoareau and the president of the African Chess Confederation, Lewis Ncube.

Mr Hoareau said he was surprised with the level of competition during the course of the championship, adding that although there were a few hiccups in general he is very satisfied with how things went on.

Ms Rousseau on her part thanked Mr Hoareau and his federation for being brave enough to take up the challenge of hosting such a competition here, despite being one of the smallest sports federations in the country.

All competitors received certificates.

S. N.