Chess action during the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association games in Kakamega Chess Kenya (CK) has welcomed the introduction of the game in the secondary schools calendar.
Chess and Scrabble were introduced in the Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports
Association (FEASSSA) calendar this year. Chess and chess were initially supposed to
feature as a demonstration sport, but organisers decided to have teams compete.
Chess Kenya (CK) president Bernard Wanjala said, “I want to extend my gratitude to FEASSSA for
incorporating Chess in their calendar. This will go a long way in growing the game in the country.”
He said they
will hold discussions with the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSSA)
to decide whether chess can be included in the Term One or Term Two calendar.
During the
championship held at the Masinde Murilo University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenyan students dominated with three gold, four
silver, and two bronze medals, while Uganda won one gold and two bronze medals.
In the
individual category, Jadon Simiyu won gold with 5.5/6 points, with Nathaniel
Manyeki clinching silver with 5/6 points. Wayne Njarumi settled for silver
with 5/6 points.
In the girls’
category, Elizabeth Cassidy won gold with 6/6 points, while Kaloki Zuri bagged
silver with 5/6 points and Shukri Shakira bronze with 5/6 points.
In the team
category, St Mary’s College, Kisubi, won gold after garnering 14 points, while The
Tigers from Kenya clinched silver with 12 points. St Henry’s College
Kitovu clinched bronze with 10 points.
In the girls’
category, Queens Gambit from Kenya bagged the title with 18 points, followed by
compatriots Royal Checkmates with 11 points, while Wampewo Ntaake were third with
10 points.
Jadon Simiyu
was named the Most Valuable Player with a perfect 6/6 score and a performance rating
of 2,436, while the girls’ title went to Elizabeth Cassidy, also from Kenya, with
a 6/6 score and a performance rating of 2,299.
Team Kenya
coach Caroline Njeri said, “Having Chess in FEASSSA for the first time is a great
achievement. This will take the game to another level.”
In next year’s
FEASSSA games in Tanzania, lacrosse, cricket, beach football, and beach volleyball
are expected to be introduced. The games were played as demonstration sports in
the just-concluded games in Kakamega.
