CPGA Youth Chess Championship to start in Jinja

 

 

The event will be the first of CPGA Youth Chess Championship (CYCC) regional qualifier events planned by the association for children between the ages of 5-18; following the unveiling of three sponsors for the countrywide competitions.

 

On Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel, CPGA Chairman Ssubi Kiwanuka unveiled Jesa, Stanbic Bank and Vision Group as the sponsors of the championship that will run under the tag; "Creating a Generation of Great Thinkers".

 

The sponsors were represented by Jesa Sales and Distribution Manager Joseph Kamotho, Head of Corporate Social Investement Stanbic Bank Barbara Kasekende, Sheraton Hotel's David Ssekitoleko and Odd Concepts' Silas Muhanuka.

 

The Jinja leg is expected to attract 350 players in the U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 categories, from which the top 6 players in each category will advance to the finals to be played at Sheraton later in the year.

 

According to Kiwanuka, the top three players from each gender in the regional events will be financially supported to

 

Other CYCC regional qualifier events will be held in Gulu (North), Masaka (outer Central), Kampala (Central) and Mbarara (West).

 

"This sponsorship sets CPGA on course to achieve one of its goals of supporting youth chess in all regions of Uganda through a countrywide CPGA Youth Chess Championship.

 

"It will be the first of its kind pitting children and youth from different regions against each other to further promote chess in the country," Kiwanuka stated.

 

Kamotho noted that the championship will go a long way in promoting chess and making it accessible to all Ugandan Youth.

 

"Chess requires youth to exercise their minds and bodies while it also teaches them many of life lessons like planning, strategizing, time management and competition.

 

"We are confident that Uganda has a lot of worth chess players and we need to do is to identify a platform that will create a generation of thinkers, which is the theme of this initiative," Kamotho remarked.

 

Kasekende said Stanbic was proud to be part of a program that is meant to produce Uganda's future leaders and empowering them with skills while Ssekitoleko said the youth being the future was the reason they came on board to give children an opportunity to develop their talents.