The Hindu : Sport / Chess : In search of a saviour

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2004

Sport

Sport - Chess

In search of a saviour

KOCHI, NOV. 16. It's a sport which produces a bunch of World and Asian champions every year.

But with just a couple of days to go for the World junior chess championship here, the event's organising secretary P.T. Ummer Koya was desperately waiting for the promised funds from the Kerala Government to run the show.

"We've brought the Junior Worlds to Kochi on the assurances given by the State Government. We desperately hope the Government will help us," said Mr. Koya, who is also the vice-president of FIDE, the World chess body.

"We haven't found a title sponsor for the event and we're looking at ways to cut costs," said Mr. Koya at the Casino Hotel on Tuesday evening. Incidentally, Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, is the chairman of the organising committee.

Despite the financial worries, the lovely Casino Hotel, the venue for the junior Worlds, was being readied for the championship.

The World championship, for under-20 men and women, will be inaugurated on November 18 but the action begins only the next day. And among the stars will be Indian GMs P. Harikrishna, Koneru Humpy and a few of the stars who figured in the recent Youth worlds in Greece, including the new under-14 girls World champion, Dronavalli Harika. — Our Principal Correspondent

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