Maybe the sport of chess will finally get the kind of practical assistance it needs following the promises made by Sports Minister Senator Brent Sancho when he received a courtesy call from two of the country's history-making champions. At a function which took place a the Sports Company last Friday, the Minister presented T&T's first International Master Vishnu Singh and its first WFM Javanna Smith with large plaques commemorating their breakthrough achievements. But even more importantly, Minister Sancho told the youngsters, "we are very proud of you and we are eager to contribute to your future success in the sport."
Apparently the Minister did not go into details, but DR expects that his eagerness will cover the kind of financial assistance that would permit their participation in a wider range of international tournaments, exposing them to an even higher level of competition. As in all frontline sports, meeting tougher rivalry is one sure way of improving skills and this is particularly true of the world's greatest mind game. The Minister must be aware then that facilitating the best of our talented youngsters to compete in major tournaments both inside and outside the region would be a significant step in any effort to raise our standard.
The two youngsters were accompanied by their fathers, Naroutam Singh and Russel Smith. Also present was T&TCA president Anderson Gordon who informed the Minister that the CAC Youth Festival will be held in T&T in August, presenting another ideal opportunity for the country to showcase its chess talent.
The need for a permanent secretariat for chess has long been a serious handicap in efforts to elevate the status of the sport. Now, with the promise of the Minister to look into this need, to provide the sport with a permanent home with ample space for housing chess equipment and training facilities, this dream may hopefully soon come true. Ideally, Russell Smith, an architect with vast administrative experience in the sport, both at home and abroad, will be assisting in development of this project. A former T&TCA president, Smith is also an international arbiter and long-serving General Secretary of Fide America.
At the meeting, Smith also expressed his concern about the slow progress in implementing the Chess in Schools programme for which, some years ago, he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a representatives of the Education Ministry and FIDE. In reply, Minister Sancho promised to examine the project to see how it may be expedited.
In any case, he expressed his keen interest "in the idea of introducing chess clubs to schools where they don't already exist, in order to add another dimension of sport to students' curriculum."
While chess may not be considered a sport, the Minister added, "I am aware of the role it can play in developing critical thinking and a strategic approach to whatever sport you play."
The Minister agreed to meet further with the Association's executive "to gain a better understanding of their plans and programmes for 2015 and to determine how best the Ministry could help them to achieve their objectives."
DR, of course, welcomes the interest in chess shown by the Minister of Sport, especially his appreciation for the achievements of the country's two young chess stars. Hopefully, this gesture will initiate a period of all-round development of the sport, one that would benefit not only chess players but, in fact, the country as a whole.