The Botswana Chess Federation has received a shot in the arm following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Botho College that will see the college sponsor the annual Senior Schools Chess Tournament.
This partnership comes with a sponsorship of P75, 000 over three years, starting from 2012, with the event now renamed the Botho Senior Schools Chess Tournament.
Botho College managing Director, Sheela Raja Ram, said the game can also develop the thinking ability of students.
“Chess helps students to think, to make decisions, to play an honest game, to win and lose. It also helps children understand subjects such as algebra, geometry and logic,” said Raja Ram. “Chess playing students tend to perform better as chess develops reasoning and memory. It will be for a good benefit if chess is included in the national scholastic curriculum.”
Raja Ram said Botho College sees itself developing youth not only physically but mentally through the game of chess. The college is also involved in empowering youth with education and life skills around the country.
Botho College will provide a venue for the tournament, trophies, medals, cash prizes and computers for the winning school every year. The Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) acknowledged this sponsorship as a good gesture for both itself and the development of sport in Botswana.
BCF president, Tshepo Sitale, said the senior schools team championship has been one of the prominent events in the BCF calendar over the years. “Botho College’s sponsorship of the event will surely catapult it to be one of the best schools chess tournaments, considering the lucrative prizes that come with the sponsorship,” Sitale said.
He added that it is at the seniors’ chess championship that players earmarked for development and drafting into the senior national team are identified, pointing out that the event is also a recruitment ground for most chess clubs.
The tie between Botho College and BCF goes back to 2009 when the college sponsored the historic visit of World Chess Champion, Vishwanathan Anand, to Botswana.
