BCF to celebrate 30th anniversary
MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent
The Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) celebrates its 30th anniversary in July with a series of events lined-up. An event to commemorate the day is scheduled for July 7 where people who have contributed to the growth of the game will be recognised.
Competitions start next month as a build-up to the July event. BCF was founded in 1982 by a group of players who had earlier founded the Gaborone Chess Club (GCC). BCF president, Tshepo Sitale said a committee has been appointed to gather information on the history of the chess federation.
“The federation was probably started by some British expatriates who resided here in the past,” he said. Sitale added that their records show that the first documented chess event in Botswana was a tournament captured by the British Chess Magazine in 1976. He said they would gather as much information as possible to ensure that deserving people are recognised. Sitale said there has been commendable growth in the game with most local black players getting involved. A number of players have been recognised internationally and are rated. Ontiretse Sabure was the first chess player to attain the Grand Master title in 2005 and thereafter the likes of Tshepiso Lopang, Boikhutso Mudongo followed suit. The level of the growth in the women’s game has particularly impressed Sitale.
Although strides have been made, there are still challenges. Sitale said their aim is to have their own facility where all chess activities would take place. As it is now- the federation depends mostly on school halls.
“We want to have a place of our own, where we can keep all chess materials for everybody to access,” he said. Sitale said it is important for sport codes to have full time administrators. “The way sport is growing in Botswana we cannot afford to run it with volunteers any more,” he said.
He observed that most disciplines, which are doing well, have full-time employees. “It is unfortunate that we are always compared with such codes and expected to perform like them,” he said.
Source: http://www.mmegi.bw
Very nice.