Uganda’s Sana stuns Africa’s number one to go top at AYCC in Zimbabwe

Uganda’s Sana Omprakash edged closer to history after defeating Nigeria’s WCM Deborah Ere Ebimolo to climb to the summit of the Africa Youth Chess Championship (AYCC) U18 girls’ table.

Deborah, determined to recover from her loss the previous evening, entered the round hoping for a turnaround against the in-form Ugandan. But Sana maintained her composure, outplaying the Nigerian star to take command of the category.

She now leads with 5.5 points and needs just two more points from the remaining rounds to secure what would be Uganda’s first-ever AYCC gold medal.

In the U18 Open Section, Uganda’s Edwin Pidokept his medal hopes alive with an impressive fourth victory, this time over South Africa’s Lirafu Siyambonga, moving to four points from six games.

Uganda’s other strong contender for gold, Juliet Asaba, also delivered a crucial win against her Botswana opponent to rise to five points out of six. She faces a tougher test in her next round when she meets Women’s Candidate Master opposition.

There was a moment of sweet redemption in the U14 category as Daniel Odokonyero outwitted South Africa’s Parag Jugmohan, the same player who had earlier beaten fellow Ugandan Omara Sankara. Odokonyero’s win puts him firmly back in the race with 4.5 points.

In the U10 Open, Elvis Tumusiime extended his remarkable momentum, securing a third straight victory after a hard-fought battle against Zimbabwe’s Jiri Julian. In the U10 Girls section, Talia Atubet produced a spirited performance, holding undefeated Zambian talent Nikhil Vankhedeka to a draw. She maintains third place with 4.5 points, just one point behind the leader.

Uganda, however, suffered a setback in the U12 Girls category when Suhana fell to Nigeria’s top-ranked Michelle Nwankwo, denting the country’s medal chances in that lineup.

Despite the mixed outcomes, Uganda Chess Federation general secretary and head of delegation Patrick Ojok remains upbeat. “Some of our toughest rivals have also slipped, so several of our players still have a fighting chance if they can rise to the challenge tomorrow,” he remarked.

Competition resumes tomorrow, with Sana set to face Zambia’s lower-ranked Mhungu Matifadzashe, who currently sits on four points, another crucial step in her pursuit of a historic gold.

Round 6 Results
U18 Category
E. Pido (UG)            1  L. Siyambonga (SA)    0
D. Ebimobo (NIG)    0  S. Omprakash (UG)    1

U16 Category
D. Zalwango (UG)    0   I. Hadjout (ALG)         1
S. Omprakash (UG  1/2   F. Shekupe (NAM)   1/2

U14 Category
E. Nalamalpu (BOT) 0  J. Asaba (UG)               1
P. Jugmohan (SA)    0    D. Odokonyero (UG   1
O. Samora (UG)       0    C. Otieno (KE)            1

U12 Category
M. Nwankwo (NIG)    1    A. Suhana (UG)         0
A. Kirabo (UG)          1/2 M. Dube (ZIM)         1/2
M. Iowan (SA)            1/2   R. Wabwire (UG)   1/2
R. Kimani (KE)           1 A. Ahumuza (UG)        0
O. Sankara (UG)        1   E. Madziranyika (ZIM) 0

U10 Category
N. Vankhedeka (ZAM)  1/2    T. Atubet (UG)   1/2
E. Tumusiime (UG)        1  J. Jiri (ZIM)             0

U8 Category
K. Upadhaya (ZIM)        0     P. Nicole (UG)    1
E. Kiggundu( UG)           0    N. Tadisa (ZIM)   1
S. Mulema (UG)             0     R. Mbhekei (SA) 1
A. Mtakiwa (ZIM)            0   A. Kagoda (UG)   1