Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya has been granted the right to host Africa Amateurs Chess Championship (AACC) set for later this month.
Chess Kenya president Bernard Wanjala said hosting such a big event, provides a good avenue to field many players and is cost-effective.
“It is very important to host such an event in the country. It is an opportunity to field as many players as possible as well as expose them to the game,” said Wanjala.
As a federation, he said they placed a bid and won the hosting rights.
“It is an honour and privilege for ACC to award Kenya an opportunity to host the event for the first time. The event will be held from November 26t to December 4 at Mombasa Continental Resort,” he said.
Wanjala pointed out that hosting the event doesn’t just mean playing but also exposing the country to tourism opportunities.
“When we host this event, it is not just about the game but can also be used as a tool for branding the country and attracting tourism.
“We have noted overwhelming numbers of those who want to participate and as we speak, available slots as per ACC regulations are almost exhausted.
“In order to appeal for extra slots through ACC President nominations, we would like to request those who are interested to make a formal request and make the necessary payment to be guaranteed the slot by November 15,” added Wanjala.
He said they are ready to host a big event that will attract thousands of players from across the continent.
“When we bid for the event, the country was in the political mood and we now need to sit with Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to give the way forward,” he noted.
He explained: ” Now that things have settled down and everything is up and running, we intend to meet with the CS Ababu on Wednesday to present our hosting rights and seek support,” he said.
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